A Trip to Brighton, or, the P- and his reduced household retiring for the summer season, William Dent, 1786

A ramshackle coach and four conveys the prince's establishment from carlton house to brighton, only the two wheelers appearing within the print. Weltje drives; his box-seat is crammed with provisions: a calf's head, leg of mutton, sirloin, carrots, turnips, &c, and is inscribed 'purveyor, coachman, cook and butler'; from it hang a gridiron (or saveall) and an iron pot inscribed 'l. W. [louis weltje] st james's street'. The head-bands of the wretched horses are inscribed 'whim' and 'caprice'. Inside the coach mrs. Fitzherbert sits reading 'principles of oeconomy'; the prince, seated on her left, gazes at her amorously. In front of them are boxes and a bundle inscribed 'childbed linnen'. On the roof of the coach sits hanger (left), an enormous bludgeon under his arm, reading a paper inscribed 'for sale by tattersall the princes stud'. His feet rest on a cask of 'small beer' standing, with a basket of 'raisin wine', on the boot behind the coach. On the front of the roof sits fox, very disconsolate, holding a pair of bellows. Between them is a large basket containing a close-stool, a warming-pan, and a cradle. On the panels of the coach are the prince's feathers and motto, upside-down, and two stars. 15 july 1786 etching with hand-colouring. Date: 1786. Dimensions: Height: 247 mm; Width: 346 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: George IV, King of the United Kingdom. Collection: British Museum. A Trip to Brighton, or, the P- and his reduced household retiring for the summer season (BM J,4.103)