Private 1833

This painting by Henry Alken is one of several of his cavalry oil paintings in the Royal Collection. All of them show privates of various regiments, and this one shows the impressive uniform worn by the rank-and-file. Unfortunately a coloured version is not available. When King William IV came to the throne he issued orders concerning the appearance of the army. This soldier has a red pelisse on his shoulder which was only worn in the 1830s as a result of the King’s desire to see his soldiers dressed only in red. Another order he gave out was in August 1831 demanding that,
‘the mustachios of the cavalry to be abolished, except in the Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards and Hussars, and the hair of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers to be cut close to the sides and at the back of the head, instead of being worn in that bushy and unbecoming fashion adopted by some regiments. The four regiments of hussars to be dressed perfectly alike. Their officers to have one dress only, and that of a less costly pattern, which will forthwith be prepared.’
This man of the 10th sports the kind of hairiness that William found so upsetting, and fortunately the hussar regiments ignored his petulant order that they should all be ‘perfectly alike’ as can be seen by the ornate regimental scarlet shabraque.

Regimental Details