History: The Who, What, Where and Why of Regency England

Ask anybody what the Victorian period is and you will always get a response, even a basic, vague answer. Everybody has at least heard about the Victorian period. Ask anybody what the Regency period is and it's likely you'll get a confused look, unless of course you're a fan of English history or Jane Austen.

Simply put, the Regency is a little cut of the 19th century spanning the years from 1811-1820, right before the Victorian period and after the Georgian period in England.

The Regency gets its name from King George IV, the Prince of Wales, who served as Prince Regent for his father King George III who was deemed mad (The Regency Period, 2009). The Prince Regent was fat and known for his scandal and notorious gambling. The majority of his people disliked him and sympathized with his neglected wife, Princess Caroline.

The Prince Regent

The Regency is also famous as it is time when Napoleon’s war with England was being waged. In 1815, Napoleon was defeated at the battle of Waterloo.

The Regency also made a lot of advances in terms of fashion. The Georgian period which came before was known for its big ball gowns, towering wigs, colourful outfits and powdered faces (The Regency, 2007). Even men wore powder and rouge on their faces!

A Georgian woman-notice the tall wig and big dress

But thanks to the French Revolution, things began to change. Fashions became simpler in order to calm the uprising of the poor who protested against the big gap between the social classes. The gaudy fashions of the Georgian period were replaced with the simpler, more elegant fashions of the Regency. Women’s clothing wad inspired by Classical Greek and Roman styles and had a more natural feel and was looser and less colourful than the old style. What defined these dresses was an empire waist, usually held with a ribbon or a sash of some kind, with a loose flowing skirt (The Regency Era).

A Regency woman-note the simple dress and natural hair

Men also wore more sober clothing in dark colours like black or navy. The top hat was also invented at this time as well. Beau Brummell was a leading male figure of this time and he was the one who created what would later be known as the modern suit, emphasizing well fitting clothing, cleanliness and masculine simplicity.

A Regency gentleman

The society of the Regency was governed by a strict set of rules and men and women rarely had any physical interaction outside of marriage. This is why the best romances today originated from the Regency period. 

Dancing was a major way for men and women to get to know each other better without the gaze of a chaperone watching their every move. This is why balls are such a major focus of the Regency and there are a range from planned dances at established dance halls to house party balls to even impromtu dances in the home (Ashford).

A Regency ball

In other areas, the Regency made major advances for history This period was the start of the Industrial Revolution as well as the Romantic movement in art, which placed more emphasis on the individual and the expression of emotion. Writing also changed in this period, as people started to write more realistic stories focusing on characters, rather than over the top dramatic gothic romances with their far-fetched storylines. 

This is also the time of Beethoven and the birth of ‘classical music.’ (A Regency Era Primer, 2006) Even cooking was affected as the Regency produced the world’s first celebrity chef: Antonin Careme.

A Classic example of Romantic art

However, the Regency still had a number of issues that would take years to overcome. Firstly, the gap between the social classes had never been higher (The Regency, 2007). Also, women had almost no rights and depended greatly upon making a good marriage. In the medical arena, the Regency had a long way to go as bloodletting and laudanum were used widely as treatments for even the simplest of illnesses.

But for all that, the Regency period is still considered a very influential part of world history.

Sources:

A Regency Era Primer. (2006). Retrieved April 12, 2012, from We Make History: http://www.wemakehistory.com/Fashion/Regency/Regency.htm

Ashford, V. (n.d.). Britain Express. Retrieved April 12, 2012, from Regency Dances: http://www.britainexpress.com/History/regency-dances.htm

The Regency. (2007). Retrieved April 11, 2012, from The Oregon Regency Society: http://www.orregency.org/description.htm

The Regency Era. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2012, from Eras of Elegance: http://www.erasofelegance.com/history/regencylife.html

The Regency Period. (2009, July 19). Retrieved April 11, 2012, from USQ Artsworx: http://www.usq.edu.au/artsworx/schoolresources/emma/theregencyperiod