Wife & no wife -or- a trip to the Continent (BM 1851,0901.273)

The interior of a large church or cathedral. Burke, dressed as a Jesuit (cf. BMSat 6026), standing within a low, semicircular wall at the foot of a crucifix, marries the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Fitzherbert. The Prince is about to put the ring on her finger. Fox gives her away, holding her left wrist. Beside him (right) stands Weltje in back view but looking to the left at the ceremony. A napkin is under his left arm, bottles project from his coat-pockets, and the tags on his shoulder denote the liveried manservant. To the left of Fox appears the profile of George Hanger. On the left North sits, leaning against the altar wall, sound asleep, his legs outstretched. He wears his ribbon but is dressed as a coachman, his hat and whip beside him. All the men wear top-boots to suggest a runaway match. Behind the Prince in a choir seat is a row of kneeling monks who are chanting the marriage service. The crucifix is partly covered by a curtain, but the legs and feet are painfully distorted as in BMSat 6026. On the wall and pillars of the church are four framed pictures: 'David watching Bathsheba bathing', 'St. Anthony tempted by monsters', 'Eve tempting Adam with the apple', and 'Judas kissing Christ', the last being over the head of Fox. 27 March 1786
Hand-coloured etching