The King's Jaunt: George IV in Scotland, August 1822 'One and Twenty Daft Days'

An account of the visit of George IV to Edinburgh in August 1822, the first visit by a British monarch for almost two hundred years. It was a visit surrounded by ceremony. The feasting and processions went on almost continuously for ten days, before the satiated monarch sailed again for London. But the visit was a very complex affair. The author describes the political machinations which preceded the event, and the way different courtiers attempted to sway the King's dithering sybaratic moods. He also describes the true state of the Scottish clans and the hypocrisy which lay behind the welcome extended to the King. John Prebble is author of "Culloden", "Glencoe" and "The Highland Clearances" among many others.