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Imaging Royalty Imaging Royalty A Study of the Representation of George III of Great Britain in his Portraits and Caricatures Master Thesis, 60 Credits, Spring 2015 Author: Apurba Chatterjee Thesis Supervisor: Mikael Alm Thesis Examiner: Maria Ågren Date of Defense: 25 May, 2015 HISTORISKA INSTITUTIONEN This thesis studies the royal image of George III of Great Britain as reflected in his portraits and caricatures. A thematic analysis of three spheres of royalty, namely, the world, Britain and his private life through three chronological periods, the years of beginning (1760-1770), years of maturity (1770-1786) and years of popularity (1787-1810) has been conducted to understand the complex array of political and personal transformations that complicated the representation of power. The use of non-verbal forms of historical evidence has opened up possibilities to examine the interactive processes of creation, consolidation and subversion of monarchical authority beyond hard-power hegemony. The results reveal a nuanced image of the king, and contribute to a broader understanding of culture of political authority in the eighteenth century. Keywords: Representation; communication; portrait; caricature; eighteenth century; political culture and political discourse Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to express my heartiest gratitude to my mentor, Dr. Mikael Alm. I am thankful for the immense patience and encouragement that he has shown to my work. I am grateful to Dr. Gudrun Andersson and Dr. Margaret Hunt for introducing me to the diverse vistas of early modernity and shaping the ways I view history as an academic discipline. My sincere thanks to the curators at the Royal Collection Trust, National Trust Uppark and British Museum for their inputs at various stages of my research. I would also like to acknowledge Kungliga Humanistiska Vetenskapliga Samfundet i Uppsala for their financial support towards my work. I am much indebted to the Master Research Node in Early Modern Cultural History for creating a healthy and fulfilling research environment which has greatly contributed to this thesis. The teachers in my previous academic institutions in India deserve special thanks for nourishing my love for history with care. My classmates in the Master Programme in Early Modern Studies, and friends at the Node have been especially kind and supportive. I am happy to have met, and worked with them. To my family I owe much more than I can express. I am thankful to them for believing in me. This work of mine is lovingly dedicated to them. 2 List of Important Characters George III: Born in 1738. King of Great Britain (1760-1820). His active reign ended in 1810 due to illness. Frederick, Prince of Wales: The eldest son of king George II and father of George III. He died in 1751. He was known for his cultural taste, and his household at Leicester House was the centre of political opposition to George II. Augusta, Princess of Wales: Wife of Frederick and mother of George III. Charlotte, Queen: Originally a German princess from Mecklenburg- Strelitz. Wife of George III and the mother of his fifteen children. She was known for her love of snuff and jewelry. Duke of Cumberland: Second son of George II and uncle of George III. He was politically active in the first decade of George III‘s reign. George, Prince of Wales: The eldest son of George III who succeeded him as George IV. He was known for his extravagance and moral profligacy that distanced him from his father. He was the rallying-point of the Whig opposition against George III. He took over as regent in 1811 due to the king‘s illness. William, Duke of Clarence: Third son of George III who served in the navy and was known for his love affair with actress, Dorothea Jordan. Frederick, Duke of York: Favourite son of George III who served in the army as Commander- in-Chief, but had to resign because of the charge of selling military positions together with his mistress, Mary Anne Clark. He was reinstated in 1811. He had a short matrimony with his cousin, Frederica of Prussia. He was widely known as a gambler. John Stuart, Third Earl of Bute: George III‘ confidant, and First Lord of Treasury (1762- 1763). He was widely considered of having a love affair with George III‘s mother and was blaimed of infusing authoritarian traits in the king. A victim of wide-ranging satirical prints. William Pitt the Elder: A prolific politician, but, in odd terms with George III. He was also the Earl of Chatham. The ‗English Will‘ or ‗Honest Will‘ of satirical prints. Opposed to the British war efforts in America. Duke of Grafton: Served as in various ministries during the first decade of the king‘s reign. Head of the ministry in 1768-1769 as the tension in America approached its peak. John Wilkes: He attacked the king and the alleged love affair of his mother with Lord Bute in the North Briton, No. 45 in 1763. Elected as the member of parliament from Middlesex in 1768, but was refused entry. He became the British icon of liberty. William Pitt the Younger: The greatest political strength of George III following the War of American Independence. The youngest British prime minister. He was odds with king on the issue of Catholic Emancipation. Resigned in 1801, but resumed office in 1804 to tackle the threat posed by Napoleon. Lord North: George III‘s first minister during the American Revolution. Resigned after the British defeat. Joined hands with Fox in coalition in 1783 only to be ousted by the king after a brief period. Charles James Fox: A Whig politician and leader of the opposition. Vehemently criticised Lord North‘s government on the issue of war efforts in America. He supported the French Revolution and was the closest political confidant of George, Prince of Wales. A friend of the playwright, Sheridan. 4 Table of Contents Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 Royalty and Royal Image in Eighteenth-Century Europe ................................................................. 2 Images in Context: Situating George III .............................................................................................. 5 An Anatomical Framework: Portraits and Caricatures ...................................................................... 9 Operationalising the Study: Images as Historical Evidence ............................................................ 12 Years of Beginning (1760-1770) ........................................................................................... 14 George III and the World .................................................................................................................... 14 George III as the King of Great Britain ............................................................................................. 18 George III and His Private Life........................................................................................................... 26 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Years of Maturity (1771-1786) .............................................................................................. 29 George III and the World .................................................................................................................... 30 George III as the King of Great Britain ............................................................................................. 36 George III and his Private Life ............................................................................................................ 47 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 53 Years of Popularity (1787-1810) ........................................................................................... 53 George III and the World .................................................................................................................... 54 George III as the king of Great Britain .............................................................................................. 58 George III and his Private Life ............................................................................................................ 66 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 73 Life of Images: George III in Perspective .......................................................................... 74 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................ 78 Primary Sources ..................................................................................................................................... 78 References ............................................................................................................................................... 78 On the King’s Portrait Kneller, with silence and surprise We see Britannia‘s monarch rise, A Godlike Form, by Thee display‘d And Aw‘d by thy Delusive hand As in the Presence Chamber stand, The Magick of thy Art calls forth, His Secret Soul and hidden Worth, His Probity and Mildness shows, His care of Friends and scorn of Foes. In ev‘ry stroke and ev‘ry Line, Does some exalted virtue shine; And Albion‘s Happiness
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