What is it about?
During the second half of 1820 British politics was dominated by the King's attempt to divorce his Queen, Caroline. This article presents a case study of how the controversy played out in the North Riding of Yorkshire, and how the Whig party's political manager in the county, Robert Chaloner, exploited the febrile atmosphere of the time to build support, especially in the key parliamentary seat of the City of York.
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Why is it important?
The North Riding is a relatively neglected region of Britain, while studies of the Caroline affair have tended to take a national focus. This, and the focus on the 'real politik' of the Whigs at a local level, provide a fresh perspective on the year when - arguably - Britain came closer to revolution than at any other time in the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries.
Perspectives
In 2013 I published a monograph on stress and stability in the UK during 1820. Writing this article was a wonderful way to develop that original research, while adding to the historical literature on a region of northern England that is very familiar (and important) to me.
Professor Malcolm Chase
University of Leeds
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This page is a summary of: CAROLINE FEVER, ROBERT CHALONER AND THE NORTH RIDING WHIGS, Northern History, March 2015, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1179/0078172x14z.00000000079.
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