The Regency
In 1811, when it became clear that King George III was deemed unfit to rule by reasons of insanity, his son George the Prince of Wales, was named Regent, which, clearly, gives name to this period of British History.
Although Jane Austen died only five years after Prince George became Regent, her work is almost always associated with the Regency Period because historically this area expands more around the times of the Napoleonic Wars than the Regency.
Although Jane Austen died only five years after Prince George became Regent, her work is almost always associated with the Regency Period because historically this area expands more around the times of the Napoleonic Wars than the Regency.
Regency Fashion
Fashion took a startling turn in the early 1800s. Women stopped wearing hoop skirts and restricting corsets for much looser, more natural looking dresses. These dresses allowed them the freedom to walk and explore, as they were unable to do before.
Even though the fashions had become much racier, the way men and women conducted themselves in public and private was of the utmost importance. From other Austen novels (specifically Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park), the fate of a woman who is tainted by scandal was rarely positive.
Even though the fashions had become much racier, the way men and women conducted themselves in public and private was of the utmost importance. From other Austen novels (specifically Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park), the fate of a woman who is tainted by scandal was rarely positive.
The Napoleonic Wars
While the years of the Napoleonic vary by source, the are generally thought to have started around 1799 and ended around 1815 with England's victory at the Battle of Waterloo. Austen mentions the Navy and the Militia in almost all of her books, but Persuasion takes the deepest look at how families were affected by the wars. It is because of the Wars that Captain Wentworth was able to make his fortune.
Want more about Austen's England?
The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World by Margaret C. Sullivan provides modern day readers with tips on how to survive and thrive in the Regency Period.
History from across the Channel
The Napoleonic Wars Experience by Richard Holmes is a rich guide to the Napoleonic Wars on all fronts. With facsimiles of original documents, detailed maps, and tons of primary sources, Holmes presents an abundance of information on the Napoleonic Wars.