When news of the death of ex-Emperor Napoleon on the island of St Helena reached Britain in July 1821, a servant was tasked with communicating the tidings to King George IV, then in residence at Windsor Castle. He went into the royal presence, bowed, and said ‘Sire, your greatest enemy.
In 1857, a play in London dramatised the Indian Rebellion with action, comedy and romance
‘Storming and Capture of Delhi’ at Astley’s Royal Amphitheatre was not encumbered with a complex plot or a sentimental story. Astley’s Amphitheatre colored plate from The Microcosm of London . | British Library Images Online
Tucked into an Indian diary of Charlotte, Lady Canning was an unexpected find – a playbill advertising the entertainments offered at Astley’s Royal Amphitheatre during Christmas week 1857. If you had sixpence to spare, you could find yourself in the upper gallery, while for a guinea (a gold coin, minted in Great Britain between 17th century and 19th century) you could be in the comfort of one of the boxes.