Regency Portraits Catalogue

Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1768-1821), Queen of George IV

Queen of George IV whom she married as Prince of Wales in 1795 and from whom she separated a year later. The scandals created by her unseemly behaviour led to the so-called 'Trial of Queen Caroline' in the House of Lords of which there is a painting by Hayter in the NPG.
Of many mostly uncharitable personal descriptions possibly the fairest is Lord Malmesbury's who had been sent as envoy to the Court of Brunswick - '… pretty face - not expressive of softness - her figure not graceful - fine eyes - good hand - tolerable teeth but going - fair hair and light eyebrows, good bust - short, with what the French call des epaules impertinentes' (Malmesbury, Diaries, 20 November 1794).


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.