About this artwork

William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland was the second surviving son of King George II. He followed a short spell in the navy with a career in the military. Whilst serving at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743 he was wounded below the knee, an injury from which he never recovered. He commanded the army which pursued Prince Charles Edward Stewart during the 1745 Jacobite Rising and defeated the rebel forces at the battle of Culloden in 1746. His later nickname ‘The Butcher’ comes from his ruthless treatment of the defeated Jacobite forces during this time.

Updated before 2020

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