Trial by Media: The Queen Caroline Affair

In the court of public opinion, Queen Caroline’s lead “attorneys” were the journalist William Hone and the illustrator George Cruikshank. However, their real interest was not the Queen so much as freedom of the press, particularly the freedom to ridicule the government and its leaders. Their success was founded on their wit, Cruikshank’s artistic genius, and his chosen medium—woodcuts—which made Hone’s illustrated pamphlets cheap and accessible to a broad reading public. One of their best sellers was “Non mi ricordo!,” putting the words of the Crown’s discredited star witness in the mouth of a hypocritical George IV. Hone and Cruikshank inspired many imitators. Their impact on the public consciousness lasted for decades:

The present generation, examining these things, might wonder at the effect they had upon the public mind; but we can tell them that thousands and thousands recollect that the effect was extraordinary. There was a rush and a crush to get them. Edition after edition went off like wildfire. Of some, as many as a quarter of a million were sold.

—Dr. Robert Shelton Mackenzie

London Journal, 20 November 1847