​#Renascentia The Great Noble of Celeas (1806)

​Well, this image places my character, "The Great Noble of Celeas," from my fantasy story, into an actual historical event: "The British Invasions." I did this for Danklaw's #Renascentia Event!, where I had to put one of my characters into a setting from the past. ​https://pixai.art/es/artwork/2013573548567472048 ​"The Great Noble of Celeas" (by the way, I still haven't decided on the character's name) is a young adult nobleman with grey hair and grey eyes, who belongs to a world of magic and fantastic creatures. In this event, my character aesthetically replaces the leading role played by Santiago de Liniers, a real-life historical figure. ​Below, I will provide an explanation of the historical event I attempted to evoke through the image. ​At the beginning of the 19th century, England was experiencing a great increase in manufacturing productivity as a result of the Industrial Revolution, and was eager to find new markets to sell its goods. In that context, the city of Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, belonging to the Spanish Crown of the Bourbon Dynasty, was a potential new market to introduce their products; a viceroyalty to which they did not have legal access to trade (although smuggling did exist). ​In fact, to be more precise, it is better to speak of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England and Scotland) and Ireland, rather than just England, since an Act of Union had come into force at the beginning of that century. ​In the context of the United Kingdom's war against Napoleonic France (which was allied with the Spanish Crown), the Battle of Trafalgar took place in 1805, where the UK defeated the Franco-Spanish fleet. As a result of that major defeat, the Spanish Crown's naval and military dominance over its possessions in America was weakened. It is in this context that the so-called "British Invasions" of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata occurred. ​Brigadier General William Carr Beresford and Commodore Home Popham arrived at the coasts of the Banda Oriental (the territory of present-day Uruguay) and decided to invade Buenos Aires (territory of present-day Argentina) without even having authorization from the British Crown. ​The arrival of 1,600 British soldiers on June 25, 1806 (I will refer to them as English or British, knowing that "British" is more accurate since many of the soldiers were from Scotland) took the Viceroy of the Río de la Plata, the Marquis of Sobremonte, by surprise. He tried unsuccessfully to stop the enemy's advance with a few hundred soldiers. Unable to face the British squadron, the Viceroy decided to flee towards Córdoba, moving deeper into the continent to a more Mediterranean region of the Viceroyalty, taking the royal treasury to organize the resistance. The British managed to seize the treasury, but the Viceroy managed to escape to Córdoba, from where he tried to organize forces against the enemy. ​After the occupation of the Viceroyal capital, Buenos Aires, most of the viceroyal officials—with some notable exceptions—swore allegiance to the English Crown (mainly due to pressure). One of the first measures the English took upon seizing the city was to enact free trade (since, until that moment, it had operated under the Spanish monopoly system, in which trade with states other than the Spanish Crown was illegal). The captured treasury soon reached London along with news of the successful capture of Buenos Aires. From there, they began organizing a fleet and a larger contingent to secure control of the new possessions, but that army did not arrive in time because the situation changed rapidly. ​Huge sectors of the Viceroyalty's population viewed the English occupation with absolute revulsion and organized the reconquest of Buenos Aires. Many members of the porteño and Creole elites, many linked to the Spanish monopoly trade, participated in the task of fighting the occupation and mobilizing the militias, which also included members of the lower classes. ​While all this was happening, a frigate captain named Santiago de Liniers (of French origin but loyal to the Spanish Crown) asked the authorities in Montevideo for 1,000 men and marched towards Buenos Aires. It was the combination of those troops and the heroic leadership of Liniers himself, along with the militia forces of Buenos Aires, self-summoned and organized by influential people from the city, that reached a total of nearly 4,000 men. This allowed them to corner and surround the British inside the city as the fighting developed. Beresford decided to capitulate on August 12, 1806. ​This is a summary of the first British invasion. There will be a second invasion in 1807; maybe I'll talk about it later if anyone is interested. ​Regarding the sources used, I mostly used prior knowledge, but I also relied on a book on Argentine History by Marcela Ternavasio. I also used this website to describe some details: https://buenosaires.gob.ar/gcaba_historico/cultura/patrimonio-de-la-ciudad/investigaciones/primera-invasion ​Danklaw, regarding the image I would like you to make, it can be any character from my fantasy story that you want, in a historical period or culture that you decide yourself. I give you the freedom to choose!