Categotry Archives: History
By George! Poor, Pittiful Prinny
After all we’ve learned about Prinny in the last few weeks, I don’t think anything in this week’s installment is going to surprise anyone. I can clearly see the workings of Georgian and Regency society, and could easily work it into one of my books. Thank’s Mr. Al for another fascinating look at Prince George IV. Poor Prinny! Didn’t anyone care how HE felt? It would not seem so because he immediately became a basket case. He would confine […]
By George! The Prince Does Like to Pussy Foot Around It
When we left off Charles Fox had just assured parliament that Prince George had NOT married Mrs. Fitzherbert, which, to the best of his knowledge, was true. Mrs. Fitzherbert, feeling rightfully slandered, told Priny to make it right or he’d be sleeping on the couch. Now, back to Mr. Al. The Prince didn’t dare speak to Fox directly so he sent for one of Fox’s friends, Charles Gray, and explained the situation to him. Something had to be done, he […]
By George! What do you think, Mrs. Fitzherbert?
You all have been asking what Mrs. Fitzherbert thought of the way people saw her marriage to George. Well, Mr. Al finally gets around to telling us. Way to keep us hanging, Mr. Al. Mrs. the Princess of Wales (sort of) was not pleased at all. According to sources she was “deeply afflicted and furious against Fox.” Since she was not a stupid woman the only explanation for her anger, beyond the fact that she never liked Fox in the […]
By George! George Digs a Hole and Fox Falls In.
It seems when Prince George gets tired of pretending to be bucolic and makes a run for the money he isn’t the only one cruising for a bruising. We return to Mr. Al’s weekly take on the life of George IV. The Prince did find someone to bring the matter up before Parliament. This gentleman, Nathanial Newnham, did raise the subject of the Prince’s financial distress, but made no mention of his marital status. Prime Minister William Pitt tried […]
By George! Life in the Country
It seems Prince George is always hurting for money. Too bad his mad starts only make things worse. When his father insists he marry a nice German girl before he’d pick up the tab, Priney doesn’t respond well. Said the Prince; he would show “firm determination not to appear again in public till he could do so with the dignity and splendor to which his rank in life entitled him.” Dad was not impressed. To give action to his words, […]
By George! The King Knows How to Handle Money
When we left off Mr. Al was telling us that George IV had run into a bit of trouble with money. Again. Take it away Mr. Al. His Majesty informed the Prince that he could not consider asking Parliament to bail him out without first knowing how much was owed. He appointed one Colonel Hotham to go over the receipts. Even with a staff, it took him over a month to come up with a figure. The total was […]
By George! The Prince is in Debt
As we have seen, debt was something the Prince had begun piling up in his early teens. Some of it was the result of opportunistic place seekers who wanted his Highness in their debt. A much larger portion of it was gambling and partying. But it wasn’t until he acquired Carlton House that his debts hit astronomical figures. One of the reasons, perhaps the main reason, his debts were so high was not only that he wanted the best of […]
By George! It’s a Wedding!
When we left off – a couple of weeks ago – Prince George the Fourth had finally convinced Mrs. Fitzherbert to be his wife. Mr. Fox was not ammused. The Prince decided to alleviate his friend’s fears by doing what he did best. He lied like a thief in a letter to Fox stating that he had no intentions of marrying Mrs. Fitzherbert. It would never happen. Scouts honor. Before Fox had even received the letter, the search was […]
By George! What If They Get Serious?
So Prince George consoled himself over the refusal of Maria Fitzherbert to join him in matrimony with the attentions of the likes of Lady Bamfylde, dinners, and redecorating. **** But his beloved Maria was never far from his thoughts. And, although he did not know it, his letters were having an effect. She remained in Europe for a year. Toward the end of that time her companions reported that she had become increasingly listless. She seemed to be running […]
By George! Prince George and His Sticky Wicket
When we left off George the 4th had just declared his ever lasting devotion to Mrs. Fitzherbert, right down to giving her a ring and begging her hand in marriage. In response the promptly decamped for the continent. And now I return you to the gentle mercies of Mr. Al’s take on history. **** Taking to heart the old adage about rolling stones and moss, Mrs. Fitzherbert traveled to Aix-la-Chapelle. From there she traveled to Holland, then Antwerp, then […]
By George! The Mrs. Prince of Wales. Maybe.
When we left of our beloved if instable Prince George IV had discovered the latest girl of his dreams – the widow Mrs. Maria Fitzherbert. As soon as she saw the direction of his affections, the packed her bags. ***** Four members of the Prince’s household showed up on Maria’s doorstep before she had a chance to blow town. These worthies had some bad, bad news. The Prince, in a fit of despair, had stabbed himself. The only thing […]
By George! He’s Found the Perfect Girl
You all knew Mrs. Fitzherbert was going to be of interest to Prince George. Can you guess how he reacted to her lovely image? ***** Mrs Maria Fitzherbert was the widow of Thomas Fitzherbert. The Fitzherberts were an old Roman Catholic family. By the time the Prince met her she had been married and widowed twice. She had also spent most of her life in France; all of her adolescence in a convent. After the death of her second […]
By George! “Now, about my allowance….”
When we left off Prince George had just moved into Carlton House. Can you imagine what would be on his mind? ***** The Prince was wishing on moonbeams if he thought he would get 100,000 pounds. Negotiations dragged on. In the end Fox convinced the Prince to accept the 50,000 from the civil list and the Cornwall revenues with the understanding that a capital sum of 60,000 pounds would be provided separately, by Parliament. When would that happen? Um…later. […]
By George! The Fox, the Prince, and the King
When we left off Mr. Al was telling us how rudderless the prince could be without Charles Fox. He was living the high life, and still not out of his teens yet. Can you imagine him living on his own? Take it away, Mr. Al. ***** Parliament of the Georgian period was not for the faint of heart or the quite thinker. It was the age of the orator, and Charles James Fox was, and still is, considered one […]
By George! How to be a Thorn in a King’s Side
In last week’s blog, Mr. Al pointed out how profound the consequences would be for England to place as flighty a ruler and George IV on the throne. **** For one thing, it meant that he could be easily persuaded by those closest to him. If he were hanging out with the usual rakehells, the result would likely go up in the next day’s papers and cause some more embarrassment. If, however, those closest to him happened to be […]
