Regency People
The Royal Circle
Mrs. Fitzherbert (1756 – 1837)
A Catholic widow, Maria Anne Fitzherbert was married to George, Prince of Wales in 1785, though the marriage was considered invalid under the Royal... Read More →
Princess Charlotte (1796 – 1817)
The only child of the tempestuous marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charlotte was second-in-line to the throne after her father and... Read More →
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Leaders of Society
Emma Hamilton (1765 – 1815)
Born Amy Lyons, the daughter of a blacksmith, she later changed her name to Emma Hart when she entered the world of prostitution in... Read More →
Harriet Wilson (1786 – 1846)
An infamous courtesan who took London by storm with her sisters Amy and Sophia, Harriet was the daughter of a humble Swiss clock maker.... Read More →
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Leaders in Politics and the Military
Spencer Perceval (1762 – 1812)
Spencer Perceval was Prime Minster from October 4, 1809 until his murder on May 11, 1812. He is the only British Prime Minster to... Read More →
William Wilberforce (1759 – 1833)
Politician and philanthropist, Wilberforce is best known for leading the British campaign against the slave trade. Following the lead of his politically-minded friend William... Read More →
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Leaders in Literature and the Arts
Humphry Repton (1752 – 1818)
Humphry Repton was the last great landscape architect of the 18th century, though his style is what we think of today as pure Regency... Read More →
William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850)
William Wordsworth helped launch the Romantic movement in poetry with the publication, with Samuel Coleridge, of Lyrical Ballads in 1798. A second edition, with... Read More →
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Leaders in Science and Industry
James Watt (1736 – 1819)
A Scottish inventor and engineer, Watt developed improvements for the steam engine, changing it into a source of power that changed the world and... Read More →
John MacAdam (1756 – 1836)
MacAdam is credited with changing coach travel by improving roads. He first began experimenting with road construction on his own estate in Scotland. When... Read More →
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Stars of the Stage
Joseph Grimaldi (1778 – 1837)
Son of the ballet master at Drury Lane and a ballet dancer, Grimaldi was a celebrated clown and master of the art of pantomime... Read More →
Angelica Catalani (1780 – 1849)
The famous Italian opera singer was already a huge star when she came to England in 1806, where she reigned as an unrivalled prima... Read More →
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The Sporting Life
James Belcher (1781 – 1811)
Another of the famous boxers of the period, Belcher held the English title from 1800 to 1803. He is more likely to be... Read More →
Henry Angelo (1756 – 1835)
The son of a famous Italian sword master, Henry Angelo inherited his father’s Fencing Academy in Bond Street, London in 1785. It was there,... Read More →
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