4 shocking scandals from the Georgian era
The Georgian era of British history engulfed many public figures, including royals and aristocrats, in scandal. Here are several of the most notorious incidents.
Image: King George IV desperately tried to introduce a new bill just so he could divorce his wife | Public Domain
The hit series Bridgerton has kept period drama fans in thrall for years now. One mainstay of the show is the mischievous narration provided by Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown.
There’s always a salacious story or two pouring out of her quill as she pens the latest issue of her scandalous newsletter. We even get to see scenes of it circulating around ‘the ton’ (as high society was known in Regency Britain).
Though Lady Whistledown isn’t directly based on an actual historical person, ‘scandal sheets’ like hers certainly existed back then. There would have been no shortage of material for them, either.
Great Britain’s Georgian era, which ran from 1714 to 1830, was littered with scandals. Here are just some of the biggest — from an economic crisis to illicit liaisons.
1. The South Sea Bubble
In 1713, the South Sea Company was handed a monopoly to supply African slaves to South America. The expectation surrounding this deal saw members of the public investing in the South Sea Company, pushing up its share prices.
However, at this time, Britain was waging war against the Spanish, which had significant control over South America. This meant that the prospect of Britain’s slave trade with the region had been greatly exaggerated.
So, in 1720, the South Sea Company’s stock suddenly collapsed in value, creating Britain’s first major stock market crash and ruining thousands of investors.
2. Sir Richard Worsley scandalises his own wife
Remember Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer playing Georgian gentlewoman Lady Worsley in BBC television film The Scandalous Lady W? This originally aired in 2015 and adapted the real-life story told by historian Hallie Rubenhold in her book Lady Worsley’s Whim (published in 2008).
This book, since republished under the same name as the film, makes a riveting read. The title character was born Seymour Dorothy Fleming and aged just 17 when she married baronet Sir Richard Worsley in 1775.
In November 1781, Lady Worsley ran off with South Hampshire militia captain George Bisset. Sir Richard responded by taking legal action against Bisset on the grounds of ‘criminal conversation’ (a tort arising from adultery).
However, the court heard that Sir Richard had actually encouraged his wife’s tryst with Bisset. In one alleged episode, Worsley had invited Bisset to peek through a window of a Maidstone bathhouse to see Lady Worsley naked. As a result, the jury awarded Sir Richard just one shilling in damages.
3. The Duke of Gloucester’s colourful love life
In 1769, newspapers reported 'D—e' meeting up with 'L—G'. Readers would have recognised these oblique monikers as references to the Duke of Cumberland and his lover Lady Grosvenor.
Just five years earlier, she had wed Richard Grosvenor, 1st Baron Grosvenor. However, after finding out about Lady Grosvenor’s affair with the Duke of Cumberland (Prince Henry, the king’s brother), her husband was unable to get his marriage annulled.
This is because Lady Grosvenor had collected evidence of what the diarist Joseph Farington described as Lord Grosvenor’s 'profligate' lifestyle.
In November 1771, George III was horrified to learn that Cumberland had secretly married a young widow, Anne Horton. The publicity of this 'alliance of prince and commoner' (as George called it) risked damaging the monarchy’s prestigious image.
At the king’s behest, the Royal Marriages Act 1772 was passed, requiring George II’s descendants to obtain permission from the monarch before getting hitched. Would this prevent a similar crisis from emerging later down the line? Not quite…
4. George IV audaciously attempts to divorce his wife
George III’s eldest son, Prince George, assumed the powers of king in 1811 after his father descended permanently into his famous ‘madness’.
So, when the Prince Regent became George IV in 1820, the change was pretty much cosmetic. It did, however, lead his wife Caroline to return to Britain from continental Europe, where she had resided since 1814.
When George was Prince of Wales, the Royal Marriages Act denied him complete free rein over who he could wed. Hence, he was coerced into marrying Caroline of Brunswick, a bride of whom his father approved.
Unfortunately, the Prince of Wales and Caroline were ill-suited to each other and soon separated. By the time 1820 trundled around, George still hated Caroline and sought to divorce her.
Under English law, the divorce would not be possible unless either George or Caroline were found guilty of adultery. As neither party was willing to admit to adultery, George introduced the Pains and Penalties Bill 1820 in a desperate bid to divorce Caroline. The bill was so unpopular that it was ultimately withdrawn.
