Prinny and his pals : George IV and his remarkable gift of friendship / Tom Ambrose.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ambrose, Tom.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830.

George.

George IV, King of Great Britain, 1762-1830--Friends and associates.

Friends and associates.

Great Britain--Kings and rulers--Biography.

Great Britain.

Kings and rulers.

Great Britain--History--George IV, 1820-1830.

History.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

224 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; Chester Springs, PA : Peter Owen ; Chester Springs, PA : Distributed in the USA by Dufour Editions, 2009.

Summary:

From the first biography of George IV in 1831 to the most recent in 2001, Mad King George's son has commonly been held up to ridicule as a weak, selfish and incompetent spendthrift, barely tolerated by his ministers, loathed by most of his family and dependent on the emotional support of grasping mistresses.

Tom Ambrose however, has uncovered new details on `Prinny' that suggest that, for all his faults, George IV just may have been the most humane and amusing of all British monarchs, notwithstanding his love of the high life. Central to the story is the vast array of friends that populate a remarkable reign as Prince Regent and later King. If Prinny, as they knew him, was so grotesquely foolish, how did he amass such a fascinating and loyal group of friends? Could any other British ruler count among his circle the country's most brilliant playwright (Richard Sheridan) or the wiliest statesman (Charles Fox) or the greatest political philosopher (Edmund Burke) - not to mention perhaps the biggest lovable rogues' gallery London ever saw?

The truth is that Prinny's occasional buffoonery and imposing girth made him the perfect target for political satirists and cartoonists - at their zenith during his reign - and his good qualities have been consistently overlooked. This warm and affectionate portrait displays George at his very best, delighting some of the finest minds of his generation, easily winning over his subjects and his family as well as treating his lovers with care and concern . . . and roistering with all his pals.

Contents:

1 The Search for Friends 9

2 Bad Company 26

3 Following the Fox 38

4 Followers of Fashion 53

5 Artistic Friends 67

6 Sheridan's Wit 79

7 The Architects 91

8 A Remarkable Host 103

9 The Secretaries 111

10 Entertaining Children 126

11 Extravagant Friends 142

12 The Conquest of Ireland 153

13 The Scottish Friend 169

14 Brotherly Love 180

15 A Sanctimonious Companion 192

16 A Man of the People 203.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780720613261

0720613264

OCLC:

277068692