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In a strict historical sense, the "Regency era" only encompassed the years 1811 through 1820, during which time the future King George IV held the title of Prince Regent due to his father, George III's, growing mental instability. In its broader literary sense, the term can be used to describe any period in British history ranging roughly from the end of the Seven Years War (known to the Americans as the French and Indian War) to the coronation of Queen Victoria.
During the time of George III, the regency and the reign of George IV, public morals were a lot looser than in the Victorian age. Many famous men openly had mistresses and/or visited brothels. (For instance, George III's third son William lived with an actress for twenty years and fathered 10 children with her. It wasn't until twenty years after his death that his liaison was considered shocking enough to be censored.) Fortunes were won and lost at cards, dice and the races. Duels were fought and bare-knuckle boxing was at its height with champions like Belcher, Gull and Cribb.
* Although [http://www.amazon.com/Making-Victorian-Values-Decency-1789-1837/dp/B00119M2LO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227982406&sr=1-1 this work] makes the case that the beginnings of values considered "Victorian" can also be found in this period; in particular, the threat to the nobility from the French Revolution was seen by some as God's judgement on a depraved aristocracy in both France and England.
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{{examples}}
* [[Jane Austen]]'s 6 novels, as well as the numerous film and television adaptations (including the ones with [[Pride and Prejudice And Zombies|zombies]] and [[Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters|sea monsters]]).
* ''[[Jane Eyre]]'' is meant to be the fictional memoir of a woman looking back at her youth; the main action is set in about 1810. In addition to the mention of [[Walter Scott]]'s 1808 novel ''Marmion'' as a recently published book and the frequent mentions of politics more appropriate to Georgian than Victorian times, Jane's travels lead her to a coach house in an [[Expy]] of [[Oop North|Leeds]] where a portrait of the Prince Regent is displayed prominently. Not only had the Prince Regent (or King George IV) been dead for almost twenty years by 1847, the coach houses had been closed for over fifteen years. Had ''[[Jane Eyre]]'' been set any time after 1835 or so, Jane would have taken a train, and the station would have held a portrait of Queen Victoria.
** This of course doesn't stop writers and producers from assuming that the novel was set in Victorian times and dressing Jane in a governess's wardrobe more appropriate to the mid-Victorian era than the Regency.
* Speaking of Regency England in the broad literary sense, this also encompasses ''[[Wuthering Heights (novel)|Wuthering Heights]]'', which spans from the 1770s to 1801.
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* ''[[Blackadder|Blackadder the Third]]''. It's actually ''about'' the Prince Regent (specifically his butler), but [[Deadpan Snarker|it's not exactly a costume drama.]] It also includes [[Anachronism Stew|many events that happened before]] the Regency era.
* Two entire genres of [[Romance Novel]]s. "Regency romances" are cerebral comedies of manners, usually rather brief, with scarcely a hint of sex (see: [[Jane Austen]], as listed above). "Regency historicals" are bodice rippers that just happen to be set during the period.<ref>Despite the name, the "historicals" are usually ''less'' concerned with historical accuracy than Regency romances proper -- the former appeal to general readers, while the latter have a devoted, extremely knowledgeable fanbase that enforces strict accuracy on its writers.</ref>
* Susanna Clarke's ''[[Jonathan Strange
** Several real life figures from the time period even provide cameos, most notably King George III and [[Lord Byron]].
* [[George Macdonald Fraser]]'s ''Black Ajax'' is a fictionalsed account of the career of the first great black heavyweight, Tom Molineux, who fought in the bare-knuckle ring at this period and twice contested Cribb for the title. The Prince Regent himself makes two brief appearances.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Hollywood History]]
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