What is the Regency Era?

“Regency” is a term that emerged from the rule of monarchs – countries that had a head of state that was a king or queen.

A Regent is a person that is formally appointed to act on the monarch’s behalf – it usually happens if the monarch is incapacitated because of physical or mental illness. A Regent could also be appointed if the monarch has died and the successor is not yet old enough to wield the authority of the crown.

From a cultural reference point of view, when people talk about the Regency Era, they’re almost always talking about 19th century England.

In 1811, King George III became incapacitated – his health had deteriorated and it was apparent that he could no longer effectively rule. The King’s eldest son was appointed as Prince Regent so that he could carry out the duties of the King, on his behalf.

King George III died in 1820 and the then Prince Regent assumed the throne and became King George IV.

That series of events defines the Regency Era as being from 1811 until 1820.

Why is the Regency Era significant?

The Regency Era was a time of tremendous social, cultural and industrial change.

This period of change often means that the term “Regency Era” is used to broadly talk about the decades from 1780-1840 – a broader period of history than that narrowly defined by the appointment of the Prince Regent.

The Regency Romance Literary Genre.

Regency Romance stories are a subset of the historical romance category of the romance genre. Regency Romance stories can deal with any circumstances historically relevant to the era – but generally focus on the love affairs of the aristocracy of England.

The action is often set in country estates or in ballrooms. A frequent reference point is “the season” – a period of springtime social events in London at which young women made their debut into society.

How queer are Regency Romances?

Within the genre of Regency Romance, there are plenty of authors writing queer characters into their stories, or centring queer romances at the core of their narrative.

If you want a bit of romantic escapism in a historical setting, losing yourself in the escapades of the men of the Regency Era could be exactly what you’re looking for.