George IV's Visit to Edinburgh

My name is Clare and I'm the Digital Outreach Assistant at Museums and Galleries Edinburgh. Today I'm going to introduce you to five paintings from Museums and Galleries Edinburgh's collection that tell the story of King George IV's 1822 visit to Edinburgh. George IV's two-week visit to Edinburgh in 1822 was a significant event in the city and Scotland's history. It was the first time that a reigning British monarch had visited Scotland in over 170 years. The last had been Charles II in 1651. The writer Sir Walter Scott stage-managed the event and promoted a romantic image of Scotland. A guide for the visit says that no gentleman is to be allowed to appear in anything but the ancient Highland costume, with the exception of those in uniform. August 2022 will be the bicentenary of the occasion. The first piece that I'm going to tell you about is Thomas Butterworth's painting, The Arrival of George IV at Leith Harbour, 1822. The image depicts the King's arrival in Leith on Wednesday 14 August 1822. There are five ships and three smaller boats, a pier where many people are standing, and small wooden buoys on top of the water. The largest boat is the King's royal yacht, called the Royal George. The painting captures the bad weather on the day. It shows the heavy rain and dark clouds, as well as the rough, choppy sea. Sir Walter Scott was rowed out to see the King when he arrived in Scotland. In Robert Moody's book, A Historical Account of His Majesty's Visit to Scotland, George IV is quoted as having said, What? exclaimed His Majesty. Sir Walter Scott, the man in Scotland I most wish to see. Let him come up. I'm now going to talk about George IV's Landing at Leith, 1822, by Alexander Carse. This is a very large painting, and its dimensions are 160.1 by 362 centimetres. The piece of art shows a parade of the High Constabulary of the Port of Leith on 15 August 1822. King George IV is shown at Leith Harbour, two-thirds of the way to the right-hand side of the painting. He is amongst a group of dignitaries, and there is a large crowd of around 2,000 people spectating. The figures are dressed smartly, and most are wearing hats. Custom House is in the background, and to the left of the painting, there are people standing on the masts of four ships. There are several people on the rooftop of Custom House, as well as many people looking out at the scene from its windows. The next painting that I'm going to tell you about is The Entry of George IV into Edinburgh from the Carlton Hill, 1822, by John Wilson Eubank. Eubank has painted the Edinburgh cityscape from the perspective of Carlton Hill. This painting shows Edinburgh's fashionable new image. The Old Town is on the left of the painting, and the elegant New Town is bathed in light from the centre to the right-hand side of the image. Edinburgh's New Town was built in stages from the 1760s to the 1830s. King George IV's visit was a fantastic way to promote Edinburgh's architectural transformation. The work captures the huge scale of the Grand Procession and the parade. There are many spectators, and some people are watching the event from the rooftops. I'm now going to tell you about the painting The Procession of George IV Entering Princes Street, Edinburgh, August 1822, by William Turner. The work shows the Grand Procession from the perspective of the east end of Princes Street. Carlton Hill and the Nelson Monument are in the background, and General Register House is on the left-hand side of the image. The east end depicted in this image is still recognisable to today's viewers. In the foreground there are soldiers on horseback, and the Royal Coach is to the left of the image. The painting captures a sense of excitement. Every window is full of people eager to see King George IV, and the streets are also lined with spectators. Finally, I'm going to discuss another John Wilson Eubank painting called The Military Review on the Occasion of George IV's Visit to Edinburgh, which shows the culmination of King George IV's Grand Procession at Edinburgh Castle. The painting shows a parade of soldiers and a large crowd, with the Old Town and Edinburgh's extinct volcano, Arthur's Seat, in the background. The Old North Bridge, which connected the Old and New Towns, is on the left-hand side of the image. Again, this painting emphasises that a huge number of people would have seen the King in Edinburgh. The people in the stands, and the soldiers taking part in the parade, look like tiny dots. If you would like to learn more about King George IV's visit to Edinburgh, you can visit the Museum of Edinburgh, which contains a display on the occasion. This includes objects related to the visit, and William Turner's painting, The Procession of George IV Entering Princess Street, Edinburgh, August 1822. The Museum of Edinburgh is also home to James Craig's original New Town Plans, which can be viewed every day between noon and 2pm.