'His Majesty Reviewing the Armed Associations on 4th June 1799 in Hyde Park'

Stipple engraving by Joseph Collyer, after Edward Dayes, published by Joseph Collyer, London, 4 June 1801.

In June 1799 King George III and other members of the Royal Family attended a review of Volunteer Infantry in Hyde Park, London. After the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France in 1793 the British Government began to repair and reinforce coastal defences and to raise, train and equip a huge force of volunteer units, sometime known as 'Armed Associations', to resist any French invasion.