KING GEORGE IV (GREAT BRITAIN) - MILITARY APPOINTMENT SIGNED 03/25/1811 CO-SIGNED BY: PRIME MINISTER ROBERT BANKS (2ND EARL OF LIVERPOOL) JENKINSON - HFSID 53537

KING GEORGE IV of the UNITED KINGDOM and ROBERT BANKS JENKINSON
As Prince Regent, he appoints James Gautier as Ensign in the 56th Regiment of Foot. Also signed by Lord Liverpool as Secretary of War
Military Appointment signed: "George PR" as Prince Regent of the United Kingdom, and "Liverpool" as Secretary of War. 1 page, 13¼x9½. Carlton House, London, England. 1811 March 25. Appointment of James Gautier as Ensign of the 56th (West Essex) Regiment of Foot. Paper seal affixed below signature. KING GEORGE IV (1762-1830, reigned from 1820) served as Regent of Great Britain from 1811, when his father, George III, was declared insane. As Prince of Wales he had very poor relationships both with his father, and with his wife, Princess Caroline of Brunswick, whom he forbade to attend his coronation and tried to divorce. As Regent, however, his choice of cabinet helped conclude the Napoleonic Wars (1815). War's end brought both peace and depression when government demand for supplies ceased. Prices fell and thousands became unemployed, instigating the first labor unions. He took steps to curb the depression with such acts as the Corn Law (1815). During his reign as King of Great Britain & Ireland (1820-1830), George IV's appreciation of the arts led to the development of Regent Street and Regent's Park and the restoration of Windsor Castle. He also initiated penal code reform and abolition of the death penalty (1822). George became increasingly unpopular, due in part to his lavish expenditures. His visit to Scotland in 1822 was the first by a British monarch since 1650. The Prince occupied Carlton House, completed in 1787 after he had persuaded George III to fund the mounting cost of the project, was his home throughout the Regency. Robert Jenkinson, the 2nd Earl of LIVERPOOL (1770-1828) served in British Cabinets as Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, Secretary of War (1809-1812) and Prime Minister (1812-1827). He is Britain's longest-serving Prime Minister since the 18th century. An arch-conservative Tory who opposed Catholic emancipation, abolition of the slave trade, and expansion of voting rights, he was a skilled military and diplomatic leader, steering Britain successfully through the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna. The 56th Regiment of Foot saw much action during the Napoleonic Wars, seeing battle from India to the West Indies. Multiple creases from folds. Toned. Edges lightly worn. Ink blotches near bottom left margin (not affecting signature). Otherwise, fine condition.