George, the Prince Regent of England, drunkenly dancing and openly flirting with another man’s wife.
Satirized by: George Cruikshank (1792-1878)
Title: “Merry Making on the Regent’s Birthday 1812″
Date Published: 1812
Context: The libertine Prince of Wales (later George IV of England) was known for his womanizing debauchery, something that made him an especially favorite target of political cartoonists of the day. One can understand why – the party-loving Prince made their jobs a breeze by continuously providing the caricaturists with hilarious new material. By the time he was 21, he had already scandalized the nation on more than one occasion, at one point illegally marrying the Catholic, twice-widowed Maria Fitzherbert in secret. When he became king in 1820 and the insults got to be too much for poor Georgie boy, he tried to push through laws that would repress the freedom of the press from printing anything deemed offensive to the crown. When that attempt failed him, he tried to bribe the satirists. George Cruikshank was paid a sum “in consideration of a pledge not to caricature His Majesty in any immoral situation,” but that didn’t stop the popular caricaturist from creating new cartoons at George IV’s expense. Eventually, in 1820, he and his brother (a satirist as well) were summoned to court to negotiate with George IV, and Cruikshank’s public mockery of his soverign ceased.
That is funny!!! partying while people hang in the background…yikes!!! Good thing we are a little more civilized now..
Wow, how funny things were back then! Thanks for posting this
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There is a wonderful website for Regency satire. The cartoons and comments often cross the line. The site's name escapes me right now. I'll have to find it.
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