King William IV and Lord Grey inspect a race-horse with the head of Lord Althorp in a paddock. Coloured lithograph by John Doyle, 1831.

On Lord Althorp's budget fiasco in 1831, a result of time constraints and his inexperience. Althorp became leader of the House of Commons under Lord Grey's government in 1830 at the request of the newly enthroned William IV who states: 'A bad business this, Grey to breakdown in our first trial, eh!'. The policy was opposed by the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel who are seen discussing Eldon's folly far left: 'I think they hurried him too much in his training' (Wellington). Althorp was not only a politician but an agriculturalist and sportsman, hence reference to horse-racing

The persons shown are listed below in this catalogue record, starting from the left

[London] (26 Haymarket) : Thos. McLean, 1 March 1831 ([London] (Leicester Square) : printed by C. Motte)

1 print : lithograph, with watercolour ; image and border 26.9 x 38.9 cm

A screw-loose. Signed 'HB' (pseudonym for John Doyle) far left

British Museum, Catalogue of political and personal satires, London 1870-1954, Vol. XI, London 1954, no. 16601

Wellcome Collection 651321i