Bust of HRH Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, 1820 (c)

Parian ware (biscuit porcelain), manufactured by H Chamberlain and Sons, 1820 (c).

Frederick Augustus (1763-1827), Duke of York and Albany, was the second and favourite son of King George III. He commanded the British contingent in Flanders (1793-1795) and was a brave but inexperienced general. Appointed Field Marshal in 1795 and Commander-in-Chief from April 1798, he presided over a number of important Army reforms that contributed to Britain's successes in the wars against Napoleonic France. He was forced to resign his post in 1809 after it was revealed that his mistress, Mary Anne Clarke, had made money from the sale of commissions, but was reinstated two years later to almost unanimous satisfaction.