This clock was bought by François Benois, the Regent’s pastry chef, during one of his missions to Paris to purchase art for the Prince. The Prince had a great admiration for the French monarchy: the appeal of this clock lay in the emblem of Louis XIV, the mask of Apollo, in its cresting. Like many of the Prince’s art treasures, this clock was never displayed at Carlton House, where space was limited (at least when compared to Versailles).

Purchased for George IV, 1820