Member Review

The turbulent and generally unhappy love life of the onetime Prince Regent and later George IV is tackled here in this readable and informative account by prolific history author, Catherine Curzon. A notorious womaniser, the oldest son of George III, first 'married' widow and renowned society beauty, Maria Fitzherbert after winning her over following an intense campaign of harassment, letter writing and threats of suicide. The marriage was, in fact, invalid under the terms of the Royal Marriages Act, as she was a Roman Catholic. His marriage to Caroline of Brunswick meanwhile was imposed upon him and was a disaster. On first meeting his future wife, the Prince immediately demanded a brandy as meeting her made him ill, a practice he continued at the Royal Wedding which he was drunk throughout. Although not entirely blameless herself, Caroline was fiercely mistreated by George and won lots of public support but the marriage ended in a bitter and messy divorce. An enjoyable account of two very different women who never met but who both played a small but significant part in British history.