About
Regency: the style prevalent in England during the regency of George, Prince of Wales (later George IV) from 1811 to 1820. The principle trend in furnishings and architecture was neoclassical.
Sketching a Background
The Regency Era is marked by Britain's victory in the Napoleonic wars being fought in Europe. Prior to its commencement, the British army had been fighting the French on the Iberian Peninsula since 1809 under the commandment of the eventual Duke of Wellington, who eventually defeated this wing of Napoleon's army.
The Regency Era saw the prime of the Romantic poets, led by Byron, Shelley, and Keats. It also saw the birth of the historical novels, Waverly and Ivanhoe, of Sir Walter Scott, as well as Jane Austen's recounts of Regency society in her novels, the more popular being Pride and Prejudice, and Emma.
During 1811 and 1820, London served as the center of all of Britain's activities. The Season began in March and lasted until late June, when the haut ton fled to their country estates. Women spent their days visiting with their friends, frequenting fashionable shops, and attending balls, the theater, and the opera. Gentlemen busied themselves with their clubs, courted the ladies and played sports.
However, life was not so full of pleasantries. Social reformers worked for prison reform and changes in the laws of the poor, while evangelical religions gained in popularity. There was growing agitation for political reform from both the rising middle class and the increasingly vocal laborers.
When George III died in 1820, it also marked the end of the Regency Era.
Why the Regency Era?
My fascination for this short period of history was first touched upon my discovery of Pride and Prejudice over five years ago, which swiftly followed a period of extensive research to understand more about Jane Austen's time. I cannot touch upon a specific part of this period which intrigues me most other than its elegance, its literature, and its society.