Royalty, Celebrity, and the Press in Georgian Britain, 1770-1820

Natalee Garrett

Articles

Royalty, Celebrity, and the Press in Georgian Britain, 1770-1820

Authors

Natalee Garrett

Abstract

This article argues that the British press created a sense of celebrity around the royal family in the late eighteenth century by providing the British public with extensive information on the private lives of royalty. Analysing newspaper articles and printed images, it examines three case studies from the period: scandalous royal romances, the madness of George III, and the tragic death of a princess. These case studies highlight the increasing exposition of the private as well as public and political aspects of royalty at the intersection of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The article explores how intense media coverage of private royal matters created a discernible culture of “modern celebrity” in relation to the royal family in this era, a culture which ran counter to the official, traditional image of the monarchy. It considers the extent to which this media coverage forged emotional connections between the royal family and the British public, as well as examining the negative impact that media exposure could have on perceptions of the monarchy.

Keywords:

Year: 2022

Volume: 9 Issue: 2

Page/Article: 99-115

DOI: 10.21039/rsj.351

Submitted on Jan 19, 2022

Published on Dec 15, 2022

Peer Reviewed

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

List of References

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Anon., The whole proceedings at large, in a cause on an action brought by the Rt. Hon. Richard Lord Grosvenor against His Royal Highness Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland; for criminal conversation with Lady Grosvenor. Tried before the Right Hon. William Lord Mansfield, in the Court of King's Bench, on the 5th of July, 1770. Containing the evidence verbatim as delivered by the witnesses; with all the speeches and arguments of the counsel and of the court. Faithfully taken in shorthand by a Barrister. London: J. Wheble, 1770.

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