Regency

The Regency time period is generally considered to be the period of time at the beginning of the 1800s. Specifically, the Regency period in England began in 1811, when the Prince of Wales was made the Prince Regent because his father, King George III, had become too insane to rule. The Prince was only Regent until 1820 when King George III died and the prince became George IV. He ruled until 1830 when his younger brother became William IV. When William died in 1837, Princess Victoria became Queen. The period of time after the Prince became King and until Queen Victoria took the throne could also be considered Regency period, although it is also known as the Age of Reform.

In history, the period before 1811 is known as the Georgian period. However, some put the beginning of the Regency period as earlier. The Prince, "Prinny", had begun to set the tone for the period with his lavish expenditures and indolent lifestyle in the late 1700s. Beau Brummel was a great friend of the Prince, and he began to shine in 1794.

Another event that defined Regency society was The Napoleonic War which began in 1809 and ended in 1814.