It’s 1798. Admiral Horatio Nelson is on a mission to support the Neapolitan monarchy in Naples. He has already made a remarkable carreer, even if his greatest success is still to come. He is also marked by war: He has lost an arm and suffers from coughing spells. In Naples, he stays with the British Ambassador Sir William Hamilton, and his wife lovely Emma Hamilton.
Queen Caroline’s Scandals in Italy
Caroline of Brunswick (1768 –1821) had the misfortune of being unhappily married to George, Prince of Wales. The Prince refused to communicate with her, and permitted her to see her daughter only once a week. Being freezed out of Carlton House, Caroline set off for a long trip throughout Europe in 1814.
What seems to be a reasonable thing to do today was the beginning of a long lists of scandals in the eyes of her contemporaries. Her husband, trying to find reasons to divorce her, sent agents to spy on her, and her every movement was reported back to England.
Here is a list of the main scandals Caroline was accused of: Continue reading
Wellington: A Hero, His Earnings, and His Score on the Marriage Market
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a man in regimentals strongly appeals to the fair sex. When he is also famous, his favour with the ladies rises. However, it is his income that makes him a desirable husband, as the novels of Jane Austen point out.
How would national icon Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, have fared on the marriage market? Was he as sought after as Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy – or even more popular? Find out here – and don’t miss the video at the end of the post!
The Battle & the Man: 10 Quirky Facts about Admiral Nelson and Trafalgar
On board the HMS Victory
On 21th October we commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. On this day in 1805, the British fleet defeated the French and Spanish allies west of Cape Trafalgar. 50,000 men were involved in the fighting. 5,000 of them died, among them the commander of the British fleet, Admiral Horatio Nelson. The victory confirmed Britain’s role as “ruler of the waves” and put a stop to Napoleon’s plans to invade Britain.
Being a Regency Enthusiast, you certainly know a lot about Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar. But did you also know these 10 facts about the battle and the private life of its hero, Horatio Nelson? Continue reading
Gossip Guide to the Kingdom of Naples: Inside the Palace of Caserta
Find in this gossip guide for the 18th century:
- Palace, Pomp and Politics
- The British Ambassador as Tomb Raider
- Love & the Palace
- Shocking: Emma and Nelson!
- A King from France & the English Princess
Jane Austen’s “Secret” Brother – Guest Post by Author Lisa Pliscou
I am delighted to have Lisa Pliscou, acclaimed author of both fiction and nonfiction, as guest writer at Regency Explorer. In her newest book, Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer, Lisa highlights Jane Austen’s creative development as a child and teenager. It’s a treat for me to present Lisa’s insightful post about a rather unknown aspect of Jane Austen’s life:
Jane Austen’s “Secret” Brother
Lisa Pliscou
As I was making my way through a stack of Jane Austen biographies — what began as pure enjoyment and ultimately became research for my Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer — I was surprised to see that occasionally, an author would tally Jane’s siblings and end up with six.
The correct number, of course, is seven; altogether there were eight Austen children, beginning with James and ending with Charles. Jane’s older brother George, somehow, slipped between the cracks.
And why? Because he was the “defective” Austen child. Continue reading
Writer’s Travel Guide: Anna-Maria Hunt and the Rescue of Lanhydrock House
In this post:
Lanhydrock House is located 3 miles from Bodmin, Cornwall. Today, the house is presented mainly on the basis of the events and owners of the Victorian age. But Lanhydrock House is well rooted in the Regency period and can tell you the story of Anna-Maria Hunt (1771-1861) and her arduous inheritance.
An Arduous Inheritance
Anna-Maria had always been considered the heir of Lanhydrock House, at that time owned by her uncle, George Hunt. In the eyes of the fine society, she was a lucky heiress, the aim of every fortune-hunter. But when her uncle died in 1798, she was confronted with a tricky testament and the strange humour of Uncle George: He left her Lanhydrock, but also the shocking amount of £68,000 (£2.2m in today’s money) in debts. Uncle George’s money, his shares in mines, arrears from tin, copper and timber dues and even the furniture of Lanhydrock went to some distant cousins. Anna-Maria found herself with £100 with which to run the estate and only three people in service living in Lanhydrock: an aged housekeeper, her daughter and the gardener. Continue reading
Napoleon’s Taste in Shoes and other Delightful Trivia
Truly imperial luxury: stairs leading up to Napoleon’s bed
Napoleon – hero and ogre in one person. I travelled to France this spring to learn more about one of the most famed and famous men in history. I found many treasures and many quirks. Watch my short photo-film “Napoleon – Treasures at Fontainebleau Palace” to learn
- was Napoleon shortsighted?
- what was his taste in shoes?
- did he take snuff?
and to enjoy the beautiful objects.
People and Places of the Regency – A Writer’s Travel Guide
Dear Regency Enthusiast
The most entertaining way of doing research for your novel is by travelling. In many towns and historic houses you can still find traces of the Regency and its famous or infamous people. Visiting the right places is almost as good as travelling back in time to the Regency era. I went to many such places in the past years, and to give you an idea of what’s waiting for you, I have written a series of articles about the places, the related people and the history. Continue reading
Writer’s Travel Guide: Lyme Park – an Austen Drama in its Own Right
In this post:
• An illegitimate son rescuing the family seat
• Abduction!
• A haunted bedroom
Lyme Park is located two miles south of Disley, Cheshire.
It goes without saying that every Regency Enthusiast knows Lyme Park as Mr Darcy’s Pemberley in the Pride & Prejudice series with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. But drama and romance at Lyme Park are not limited to movies. It has its own drama and romance in an incident worth a Wickham/Darcy tale.
Continue reading