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A R-Y-L visit to a foreign capital or, the ambassador not at home-!!-

• Object type

  • satirical print
  • print

• Museum number

  1859,0316.118

• Title (object)

  • A R-Y-L visit to a foreign capital or, the ambassador not at home-!!-

• Description

  The Princess of Wales and her suite in a carriage drawn by six horses arrive at the porte-cochère of the British Embassy in Vienna. At the gate and in front of the horses is a mounted groom or outrider blowing a trumpet, from which issue the words: 'Vite! Vite!! 7 Lits de Maitre—13— de Domestique—!!' Facing him is a fat porter, who keeps one leaf of the gate shut, and answers: "Sein Excellenz ist nich zu haus—!!!" Over the archway are the Royal Arms, the lion (burlesqued) and unicorn look down scandalized at the carriage, in which the Princess turns to Pergami who sits on her right, saying, "This Palace will lodge us well Sir Bergamot." Her plump breasts are displayed, and she wears a turban with a jewelled aigrette. Pergami wears hussar uniform with a furred dolman, and a bunch of orders hanging from his tunic. Facing the Princess sits little Willy Austin (see No. 12027) wearing a round peaked cap; a lady wearing a tasselled cap like a smoking-cap sits next him. On the box are a foreign servant in quasi-military uniform and cockaded top-hat and a turbaned negro, with two big pistols in his sash. The negro puts his arm across the other's shoulders; both grin, as do two negro servants seated in the rumble with drawn swords; these also wear turbans, and are armed with pistols. Two postilions, French in type, flourish their whips; they wear huge jack-boots and large plumed cocked hats; the spirited horses have received a sudden check. The door-panel of the carriage, an open barouche is covered with the Royal Arms with the Prince's feathers. A stout peasant woman and a little boy (left) watch the cavalcade with astonishment; two dogs bark. Part of the Embassy forms a background: two rows of windows, the lower ones heavily barred.
  15 September 1817
  Etching

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• Producer name

  • Print made by: George Cruikshank
  • Published by: S W Fores

• School/style

  • British

• Date

  • 1817

• Production place

  • Published in: London
  • (Europe,British Isles,England,London)

• Materials

  • paper

• Technique

  • etching

• Dimensions

  • Height: 277 millimetres
  • Width: 405 millimetres

• Inscriptions

  • • Inscription Content

      Lettered with title, text within image, artist's name, and publication line 'G Cruikshank fect/ Pubd Septr 15 1817 by S W Fores 50 Piccadilly.'

• Curator's comments

  (Description and comment from M. Dorothy George, 'Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the British Museum', IX, 1949)
  One of the duties of the British Ambassador at Vienna, Lord Stewart (Castlereagh's half-brother), was to collect information on the scandalous behaviour of the Princess, especially in relation to the courier, Pergami, whom she made her Chamberlain; when she created the order of St. Caroline she appointed him Grand Master. His name, originally Bergami, was altered by the Princess into what she thought a more aristocratic form. His vis-à-vis is probably his sister, 'Countess' Oldi, who was her lady-in-waiting. Francis I acquired the Regent's gratitude by refusing to receive the Princess in Vienna. See No. 12890, a companion plate with the same signature and imprint.
  Reid, No. 686. Cohn, No. 1934. De Vinck, No. 10405.

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• Bibliography

  • BM Satires 12889
  • Cohn 1924 1934
  • Reid 1871 686

• Location

  Not on display (British XIXc Unmounted Roy)

• Subjects

  • satire

• Associated names

  • Associated with: Bartolommeo Bergami
  • Associated with: William Austin
  • Associated with: Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry (as Charles William Stewart)
  • Associated with: Caroline of Brunswick
  • Associated with: Countess Oldi

• Acquisition name

  • Purchased from: A E Evans & Sons

• Acquisition date

  1859

• Department

  Prints & Drawings

• Registration number

  1859,0316.118