The Prince Regent’s first visit to Brighton, a short one, took place in 1783 at the invitation of his uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, whom the Prine’s father, George III, regarded with such horror that he had forbidden his son to visit him. As soon as the Prince was twenty-one, with his own establishment, and free to please himself, he had accepted Cumberland’s invitation with alacrity. The visit proved hugely successful….
Life at Brighton. Prince George Regent at Brighton.A handsome, if florid face, a respectable, though slightly plump figure, and apparently first-class legs, of which he was inordinately proud. Martha Gunn, the “queen of dippers” helped their favorite girls into the sea; after all the girls were there for adventure as well. The men: They gambled endlessly, dances, drank furiously, ate gigantically, and wenched interminably, raced their horses and drove their phaetons in mad competition across the wide lawns that bordered the sea. And they dressed.
Prince George was even prouder of his taste in clothes, formed and guided by his friend Beau Brummell, who had revolutionized the Englishman’s dress by insisting on subdued colors, perfect cut, and exquisite linen as the marks of elegance. Only in the evening, on full-dress occasions, were princes and nobles permitted to dress like peacocks. But clothes and the wearing of them was a matter for daily concern and long discussion.
ADDENDUM:
( see link at end) …King George IV of Great Britain, whose reign began … in 1820 upon the death of his father, King George III (America’s last king), was not your usual monarch. Oh, sure, like many of them, as a young man he was a glutton, an alcoholic, a drug addict, a womanizer and a profligate who ran up so much debt that he had to agree to marry to get Parliament to pay off the 650,000 pounds he owed creditors. But unlike most other English kings, George IV remained a glutton, drunk, addict, gambler and wastrel, dying in 1830 from a combination of those diseases.
George IV was different in other ways, too. For example, most English kings fancied themselves great warriors and usually squandered the national treasury on prolonged wars. King George IV fancied himself a great special events planner and squandered the national treasury on parties and ceremonies.
Take his Coronation, which occurred in July of 1821, and which he planned himself down to the last detail. Sparing no expense, George spent 24,000 pounds on his Coronation robe, which was crimson velvet with gold stars and ermine trim, and included a train that stretched 27 feet. During the official Coronation Procession to Westminster Hall the 27-foot train was held by pages, who were ordered by George to spread it wide so that his subjects could admire the intricate embroidery. Also during that procession, attendants strewed herbs and flowers along the path he traveled, and following the king were the officers of state, holding the crown, the orb, the scepter and the sword of state…Read More:http://historylessons.net/the-coronation-of-king-george-iv