King George IV (1762-1830) as Prince Regent

Sir Thomas Lawrence, PRA (Bristol 1769 – London 1830) and Studio. Oil painting on canvas, King George IV (1762-1830) as Prince Regent by Sir Thomas Lawrence, PRA (Bristol 1769 – London 1830) and Studio. A full-length portrait of standing figure with head turned to the left, wearing the uniform of a Field Marshall, white breeches, scarlet cutaway jacket with decorations and high collar, with cocked hat in his left hand and a sword in his right. In the background is an expansive sky with a distant horizon. The decorations on the left side of the jacket are the jewel of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and the stars of the Orders of the Garter, the Saint-Esprit and the Black Eagle. Those on the right are traditionally said to be the Order of the Bath or the Order of Guelph, though neither of these is identifiable in the decorations shown here. As the Order of Guelph was only instituted by the Prince Regent on 12th August 1815 and, since the portrait was exhibited at the RA in July of that year, this would mean the detail had been added at a later stage, which seems unlikely. Furthermore, as the Regent is shown wearing the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle, one would expect him also to be wearing the star of the senior Order of Britain’s Russian ally, that of St Andrew, which is indeed closer in design to the Order on the right. Knole, Kent (Accredited Museum)