when was the regency era

The term “Regency era” is used in two main ways, so the dates depend on which sense you mean:

• Strict / political Regency:
  • 5 February 1811 – 29 January 1820, when George, Prince of Wales, ruled as Prince Regent during the mental incapacity of King George III.

• Broader cultural “Regency era” (how many fans of Jane Austen, Bridgerton, etc. use it):
  • Roughly from the mid‑1790s (around 1795) through the 1830s, often stretched right up to the accession of Queen Victoria on 20 June 1837, because the same social styles, fashions, and literary culture continued across late George III, George IV, and William IV.

If you’re talking about formal constitutional history , quote 1811–1820; if you mean the vibe of the period (balls, empire‑waist dresses, Austen/Bridgerton‑style society), people usually mean roughly 1795–1837.