A caricature of Harriot Mellon, Duchess of St Albans

The immensely fat Duchess of St. Albans, florid and bejewelled dances the Hornpipe with a stout elderly naval officer wearing loose wide trousers. In 1827 William Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St Albans, married Harriot Mellon (1777-1837), widow of the banker Thomas Coutts. An extremely wealthy former actress, she was 23 years older than her husband, giving ammunition to the satirists, and was often called 'The Jolly Duchess'. This satire is signed with the 'Paul Pry' monogram of William Heath (1794-1840), a little figure with a top hat, leaning on an umbrella, based on actor John Liston in the role of Paul Pry, a character who interfered in other peoples' business in John Poole's eponymous comedy.