Natalie Hanley-Smith

Natalie Hanley-Smith is a Teaching Fellow in early modern history at the University of Warwick, specializing in Georgian Britain and its social-cultural dynamics.

Her research expertise encompasses:

• Marriage history and unconventional relationships in Georgian Britain
• Historical perspectives on adultery, emotion, and gossip
• Political culture during the Enlightenment and Romantic eras
• Women's experiences in British colonial and expatriate communities
• Representations of intimacy and morality in historical art

Dr. Hanley-Smith's recent publications analyze the historical representation of adultery in art across centuries, from Renaissance biblical scenes to Pre-Raphaelite works and satirical cartoons. Her work reveals how artistic depictions of infidelity have consistently served as cultural touchstones for examining societal attitudes toward passion, guilt, desire, and moral judgment, while also reflecting broader transformations in concepts of individualism and privacy.

Currently consolidating her doctoral research into a monograph titled "Controversial Intimacies: Marriage, Gossip, and Scandal in British Society, c.1780-1840," she has co-edited a special issue of Parliamentary History on "Passion, Politics, and Parliament" and has a forthcoming chapter examining representations of George IV's final mistress.