Filled with glitz and glamour, swishing ballgowns, tall wigs, fluttering fans, and fancy soirées, Regency romances are scandalous, gossipy, and a perfect mix of historical fiction and romance. Let us look at the meaning, types, authors and books that fall under the genre of regency romances.
Regency romance books
Regency romance is a subgenre of romance novels that are set in high English society during the British Regency period that took place approximately between 1811 and 1820.
True to its historical background, Regency romances feature romantic stories that are characterised by extravagance and opulence, set against a backdrop of strict societal codes and expectations. Primarily, they focus on the romantic endeavours of the wealthy upper classes in England, such as Dukes, Duchesses, Viscounts and Viscountesses.
The Regency era of England officially spanned the years 1811 to 1820, during which George IV, Prince of Wales, was appointed the Prince Regent of England to rule on behalf of his father, King George III, who had succumbed to a mental illness.
Fig. 1 - George IV, Prince Regent of England from 1811 to 1820.
Although George IV's regency only lasted nine years before he succeeded the throne in 1820, the period was known for its sophistication and opulence but also for its restrictive societal codes and wide-ranging inequalities in race, gender and social class. The Regency period was also known for its artistic output, given that George the Regent was a patron of art and architecture.
Regency romance novels are not written in the Regency era but are historical fiction novels using the Regency period as a setting. Regency romances have their own plot and stylistic conventions that make them different from the contemporary romance genre. Here are some of the conventions of Regency romances:
The ton
Most regency romances feature the members of the ton and activities performed by them.
The ton refers to the high English society during the British Regency period. Members of the ton came from the aristocracy, gentry, royalty and monarchs. In short, they were large noble families with too much money and way too much time on their hands.
The word 'ton' was derived from the French word le bon ton, which means etiquette or 'good manners' – characteristics held as ideal by British society at that time.
People of the ton are depicted as being highly sophisticated, well-mannered and fashionable. In regency romances, they are seen engaging in extraordinary excess and indulgence in sumptuous clothing, balls, operas, soirées, leisurely sports and carriage rides.
Fig. 2 - A painting showing members of the ton gathering in a salon.
However, the ton is also characterised as being extremely restrictive, with strict moral codes and social etiquette that were meant to be followed. Acts such as having illegitimate children and conducting extramarital affairs are considered 'scandalous' and worthy of gossip and judgement. Even for small social transgressions, there are high stakes in terms of a person's reputation and honour.
The general restrictions of the ton and the possibility of breaking them are what makes Regency romances so entertaining and appealing.
Social season
Most regency romances are set during the social season, which refers to the months between late January and early July. The social season is known for being the time when families presented their marriageable children to the ton in order to secure a profitable marriage. Consequently, the season is full of much social activity, such as carriage rides, morning calls, balls, soirées, charities, operas and plays.
Oppressed women
The heroines of regency romances are burdened by society's many rules and restrictions. While they are not expected to work or engage in household chores, they are trained in music, arts, languages, dancing and social etiquette and are expected to remain chaste and innocent till marriage. Their sole aim is to secure a profitable marriage for their family.
The female protagonists of Regency romances often wish to break free from their social expectations and stereotypes, in which case they are risking being the object of scandal and gossip.
Fig. 3 - A Regency-era painting showing a woman playing a pianoforte.
Male suitors
The male characters in regency romances have stereotypically masculine features and are expected to be the head of their families.
A genre trope of regency romances is the 'rake', which refers to male characters who wish to break free from their responsibilities and expectations in society. A rake frequently becomes the male protagonist of many regency romances, where they are initially aloof, carefree and often troublesome but they are later transformed by the love of the heroine.
Marriages
In Regency romances, the end goal is always marriage. Therefore, its protagonists are normally finding a suitor ideal for marriage. This quest for finding the right suitor usually involves deceit, obstacles, twists, and false engagements that are resolved with a happy ending.
A common conflict in Regency romances occurs when the protagonist wishes to marry for love rather than the societal expectation of marrying for convenience.
Farce
Farce is a type of humour where readers are entertained through situations that are extremely exaggerated, ridiculous, and absurd to the point where they are unrealistic. In the case of Regency romances, farce is employed when small actions such as being found unchaperoned with a man are treated as mortifying and dishonourable.
Regency historical romance
Regency historical romances are a subtype of regency romance novels that are only 'historical' in their setting. While they are set in the British Regency era, their characters follow more modern values rather than the traditional values associated with the Regency era. Regency historical romance novels are more entertaining than historically accurate.
As a result, Regency historical romances are much more sensual and explicit compared to traditional Regency romances. They also contain more social realism, which means that they provide a social commentary on the power structures and socio-political conditions of the non-elite classes in the Regency period that are often overlooked.
Devil in Winter (2006) by Lisa Kleypas (1964 - present) is a Regency historical romance novel where Evangeline Jenner, a timid girl with a stammer, enters into a marriage of convenience with a handsome rake called Sebastian. However, Sebastian falls hopelessly and unexpectedly in love with her.
Signet Regency romances were the longest-running Regency romance novel series that was published from 1970 to 2006. They were published by New American Library (NAL), an independent American publishing house that initially branched off from Penguin Books. They usually published three books each month, with special collections being released during occasions like Christmas, Valentine's Day and Summer specials.
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