The Trial of Queen Caroline 1820

The 'trial' of Queen Caroline in 1820 was not technically a trial but a parliamentary debate on a bill designed to grant the King a divorce. After separating from George IV, Caroline lived in England until 1814, and then travelled in Europe and the East. Her adulterous relationship with her Italian valet Count Pergami caused a scandal. On George IV's accession in January 1820 Caroline made haste for England to claim her throne as Queen. She was greeted by cheering crowds who, fuelled by their hatred of the King, dubbed her the 'people's queen'. Hayter's painting shows the House of Lords on the sixth day of the trial, with Lord Grey questioning the Italian Majocchi who repeatedly denied any memory of Caroline's sexual indiscretions. Other prominent figures are Caroline herself, Henry Brougham her lawyer and the Duke of Wellington, standing under the left hand balcony. The proceedings ended in a compromise and the anticlimax of Caroline's acquittal, but not before it had provided a feverishly partisan England with one of the last great spectacles of the Regency.

William Adams (1772-1851), Lawyer and diplomatist.

Identify George Agar-Ellis, 1st Baron Dover (1797-1833), A founder of the National Gallery.

Identify Charles Brudenell-Bruce, 1st Marquess of Ailesbury (1773-1856), Peer and politician.

Identify William Charles Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle (1772-1849), Master of the Horse.

Identify William Arden, 2nd Baron Alvanley (1789-1849), Soldier.

Identify William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst of Arracan (1773-1857), Statesman; Governor-General of India.

Identify Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey (1768-1854), Field Marshal and Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.

Identify George Anson (1797-1857), General.

Identify Charles Arbuthnot (1767-1850), Diplomat.

Identify George William Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll (1768-1839), Lord Steward of the Household and politician; MP for St Germans.

Identify George Ashburnham, 3rd Earl of Ashburnham (1760-1830).

Identify John Murray, 4th Duke of Atholl (1755-1830), Scottish Peer.

Identify George Eden, Earl of Auckland (1784-1849), Governor-General of India.

Identify Heneage Finch, 5th Earl of Aylesford (1786-1859).

Identify William Bagot, 2nd Baron Bagot (1773-1856), Agriculturalist.

Identify Thomas Barnes (1785-1841), Editor of The Times.

Identify Shute Barrington (1734-1826), Bishop of Durham.

Identify Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath (1765-1837), Politician; Conservative MP for Weobley; son of 1st Marquess of Bath.

Identify Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst (1762-1834), Statesman.

Identify Charles Powlett Townshend, 2nd Baron Bayning (1785-1823).

Identify Henry Charles Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort (1766-1835), Conservative politician; MP for Bristol, Monmouth Boroughs and Gloucestershire.

Identify Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort (1792-1853), Sportsman.

Identify John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford (1766-1839), Landowner; Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.

Identify Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough (1758-1844), British peer; Lord of the Admiralty 1782-83.

Identify Charles John Gardiner, 1st Earl of Blessington (1782-1829), Man of fashion.

Identify Orlando Bridgeman, 1st Earl of Bradford (1762-1825).

Identify John William Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater (1752-1823).

Identify Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778-1868), Lord Chancellor.

Identify John Cust, 1st Earl Brownlow (1779-1853).

Identify Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (1776-1839), Statesman and print collector.

Identify Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Bt (1770-1844), Parliamentary reformer.

Identify Thomas Burgess (1756-1837), Bishop of Salisbury.

Identify George Gough-Calthorpe, 3rd Baron Calthorpe (1787-1851).

Identify John Jeffreys Pratt, 1st Marquess Camden (1759-1840), Politician; MP for Bath and Lord President of the Council.

Identify George William Frederick Howard, 7th Earl of Carlisle (1802-1864), Viceroy of Ireland.

Identify Henry George Herbert, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon (1772-1833), Major, peer and Whig politician; MP for Cricklade.

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

Identify Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington (1752-1838), Banker and politician; MP for Nottingham.

Identify Robert John Carington (né Smith), 2nd Baron Carrington (1796-1868), Politician; MP for Wendover, Buckinghamshire and Wycombe; son of 1st Baron Carrington.

Identify John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham (1756-1835), General.

Identify Richard Meade, 3rd Earl of Clanwilliam (1795-1879), Diplomat.

Identify John Fitzgibbon, 2nd Earl of Clare (1792-1851), Governor of Bombay.

Identify Henry Welbore Agar-Ellis, 2nd Viscount Clifden (1761-1836).

Identify Robert St John Trefusis, 18th Baron Clinton (1787-1832).

Identify Sir Charles Cockerell, 1st Bt (1755-1837), Banker.

Identify John Colville, 10th Baron Colville (1768-1849).

Identify Folliott Herbert Walker Cornewall (1754-1831), Bishop of Worcester.

Identify Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Marquess Cornwallis (1774-1823), Sportsman.

Identify George William Coventry, 7th Earl of Coventry (1758-1831).

Identify George William Coventry, 8th Earl of Coventry (1784-1843), Conservative politician; MP for Worcester.

Identify Peter Nassau Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper (1778-1837), Fellow of the Royal Society.

Identify Henry Cowper (1758-1840), Lawyer.

Identify Benjamin Currey (1786-1848), Clerk.

Thomas Brand, 20th Baron Dacre (1774-1851).

Identify Sir Robert Dallas (1756-1824), Judge.

Identify John Bligh, 4th Earl of Darnley (1767-1831).

Identify William Legge, 4th Earl of Dartmouth (1784-1853), British peer and politician; MP for Milborne Port.

Identify Edward Southwell, 21st Baron de Clifford (1767-1832), Politician.

Identify Thomas Philip de Grey, 2nd Earl de Grey (1781-1859), Statesman.

Identify George John Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr (1791-1869), Politician, Lord Chamberlain.

Identify William Ponsonby, 1st Baron de Mauley (1787-1855), Politician; MP for Dorset.

Identify William Basil Percy Feilding, 7th Earl of Denbigh (1796-1865), Peer and royal courtier.

Identify Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman (1779-1854), Lord Chief Justice.

Identify Edward Smith Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby (1752-1834), Sportsman and patron of horse-racing.

Identify William George Spencer Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790-1858), Lord Chamberlain.

Identify Edward Digby, 2nd Earl Digby (1773-1856).

Identify Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 1st Earl of Donoughmore (1756-1825), Advocate of Catholic emancipation.

Identify Arthur Trumbull Hill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire (1788-1845), Irish peer.

Identify Thomas Reynolds Moreton, 1st Earl of Ducie (1776-1840).

Identify John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham (1792-1840), Governor-General of Canada.

Identify Kenneth Alexander Howard, 1st Earl of Effingham (1767-1845), Major-General.

Identify George O'Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751-1837), Patron of art.

Identify John Scott, 1st Earl of Eldon (1751-1838), Lord Chancellor.

Identify Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough (1790-1871), Politician, President of the Board of Control and Governor-General of India.

Identify John Willoughby Cole, 2nd Earl of Enniskillen (1768-1840), Representative peer.

Identify Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine (1750-1823), Lord Chancellor.

Identify George Capell-Coningsby, 5th Earl of Essex (1757-1839), Lord-Lieutenant of Hereford.

Identify Brownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Exeter (1795-1867), Lord-Lieutenant of Northampton and Rutland.

Identify Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth (1757-1833), Admiral.

Identify Edward Boscawen, 1st Earl of Falmouth (1787-1841), Recorder of Truro.

Identify Charles Long, 1st Baron Farnborough (1760-1838), Paymaster General, art connoisseur, Chief Secretary for Ireland and politician; MP for Rye, Midhurst, Wendover and Haslemere.

Identify Lord John Edward Fitzroy (1785-1856), Politician; MP for Thetford and Bury St Edmunds.

Identify Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Fortescue (1753-1841).

Identify George Lane Fox (circa 1790-1848), Conservative politician; MP for Beverley.

Identify Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1763-1827), Commander-in-Chief of the Army; son of George III.

Identify George Stewart, 8th Earl of Galloway (1768-1834).

Identify Sir William Garrow (1760-1840), Lawyer.

Identify Robert Gifford, 1st Baron Gifford (1779-1826), Judge.

Identify William Frederick, 2nd Duke of Gloucester (1776-1834), Field Marshal.

Identify George Gordon, 5th Duke of Gordon (1770-1836), Raised the Gordon Highlanders.

Identify Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford (1776-1849).

Identify George Henry FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton (1760-1844), Whig Politician and Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk.

Identify Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Granville (1773-1846), Diplomat.

Identify William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (1759-1834), Prime Minister.

Identify Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (1764-1845), Prime Minister.

Identify William Brodie Gurney (1777-1855), Shorthand writer and philanthropist.

Identify Peter Robert Drummond-Burrell (né Burrell), 2nd Baron Gwydyr, 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby (1782-1865), Politician; MP for Boston.

Alexander Hamilton, 10th Duke of Hamilton (1767-1852), Diplomat.

Identify Lady Anne Hamilton (1766-1846), Lady-in-waiting to Queen Caroline.

Thomas Hampden, 2nd Viscount Hampden (1746-1824).

Identify William Harcourt, 3rd Earl Harcourt (1743-1830), Field Marshal.

Identify Edward Venables Vernon Harcourt (1757-1847), Archbishop of York.

Identify George Granville Venables (né Vernon) Harcourt (1785-1861), Politician; MP for Lichfield and Oxfordshire; husband of Lady Elizabeth Harcourt.

Henry Lascelles, 2nd Earl of Harewood (1767-1841), Conservative politician; MP for Yorkshire, Westbury, Pontefract and Northallerton.

Identify Dudley Ryder, 1st Earl of Harrowby (1762-1847), Statesman.

Identify Charles Hayter (1761-1835), Miniature painter.