Who Kills Fi[r]st for a Crown

This large satirical print contrasts George’s attempt to be appointed Regent in 1788 with the actions of his friend Philippe, duc d’Orléans. At the top, an elegant George is shown as a huntsman whose hounds decorously pursue the British crown. At the bottom, a dishevelled Orléans rides behind a pack of dogs which violently attack a stag wearing the French crown. Orléans was suspected of encouraging discord to advance his own claim to the French throne. The print suggests that although George’s actions had been seemly, those of his French counterpart were not.

Purchased in 1790