Transcript
George was very unpopular with the public, particularly as a decadent young man running up huge debts, and especially in London. The people of Brighton were far more welcoming, perhaps because he had brought a lot of prosperity to the town. But George had the misfortune to find himself living at the same time as two of the greatest – and most scathing – satirical cartoonists in British history: James Gilllray and George Cruickshank.
You can see a selection of contemporary caricatures of George, both before and after he became King, some in the company of his mistresses. Opposite is a more recent vision of George, painted by the artist Rex Whistler in 1944. It shows a rotund and lascivious George preparing to ravish Brighton, depicted as an innocent maiden.
If you continue to your right, towards the tea rooms, you will notice the elaborate and original Chinese wall paper. These are the remnants of several sets of paper produced in Canton and acquired by the Prince in 1815. You may wish to pause your tour here to visit the tea rooms.
When you are ready to continue the tour, return to the top of the stairs, and this time go straight ahead into the Yellow Bow Rooms.