King George IV (1762–1830), as a Private Gentleman

Image credit: National Portrait Gallery, London

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Notes

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George, Prince of Wales was given no official duties by his father King George III. Jockeying for power, he sought to undermine the King by siding with the Whig opposition led by Charles James Fox. When the King went temporarily insane in 1788 William Pitt, the Tory Prime Minister, proposed a restricted Regency to protect the King's interests. The King's recovery three months later ended the 'Regency Crisis'. Pitt's Regency Bill was revived during the King's final illness. George was sworn Regent in 1811, crowned King in 1820 and ruled until 1830.
As Prince of Wales, Regent, and finally King, George IV's private and public life was a scandal to the nation and a delight to satirists. Vain, self-indulgent and debauched he was, however, a man of exceptional taste and style who is best remembered for his magnificent patronage of the arts.

National Portrait Gallery, London

London

Title

King George IV (1762–1830), as a Private Gentleman

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 241.3 x W 154.9 cm

Accession number

2503

Acquisition method

Bequeathed by Miss Lillie Belle Randell, 1931

Work type

Painting

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