Post by Admin on Dec 27, 2020 18:46:26 GMT
The Regency in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a period at the end of the Georgian era when King George III was deemed unfit to rule due to his illness, and his son ruled as his proxy, as prince regent. Upon George III's death in 1820, the prince regent became King George IV. The term Regency (or Regency era) can refer to various stretches of time; some are longer than the decade of the formal Regency, which lasted from 1811 to 1820. The period from 1795 to 1837, which includes the latter part of George III's reign and the reigns of his sons George IV and William IV, is sometimes regarded as the Regency era, characterized by distinctive trends in British architecture, literature, fashions, politics, and culture.
As you can see from the multiple pages on etiquette, titles, and addresses, the Regency era culture was ruled by strict rules of decorum and manners. Your reputation was a kind of currency; the way you were known and seen by others could make or break your entire life. The Prince Regent's example led many of the nobles to become more and more lavish and hedonistic as well. Also during this era, the middle class was able to rise as well if they had money, manners, and connections.
However, not all was glorious parties and carefully crafted romance.
War was waged with Napoleon and on other fronts, affecting commerce both at home and internationally, as well as politics
Society during that period was considerably stratified. In many ways, there was a dark counterpart to the beautiful and fashionable sectors of England of this time. In the dingier, less affluent areas of London, thievery, womanizing, gambling, the existence of rookeries, and constant drinking ran rampant.[3] The population boom—comprising an increase from just under a million in 1801 to one and a quarter million by 1820[3]—created a wild, roiling, volatile, and vibrant scene.