Britannia Crowned by Victory…

An allegorical representation of the British Empire.

This wonderful frontispiece celebrating Britannia was published in London by Richard Evans in 1816. According to the accompanying text,

“Britannia crowned by Victory, trampling upon the chains of France, holds in her right hand the Trident of Neptune, as Mistress of the Ocean, in her left hand Magna Charta, whilst Fame is proclaiming to the World the Glory of her Arms, by pointing to some of her principle Battles inscribed on her Shield, which is supported by the Genius of Commerce; beneath are the Emblems of antient and modern Warfare.”

Numerous British victories can be seen inscribed on the wheel, from Agincourt (1415) to Waterloo (1815), which is engraved on the mouth of the cannon on the lower right. Napoleon’s defeat was the cause for British pride around the globe, and it ushered in a century of worldwide hegemony known as ‘Pax Britannica.”