The waltz had begun to appear in Europe by the late 18th century, making its way from Austria and France, and then to England and America. It created a furor along the way as it was considered by many to be a scandalous dance form with far too much physical contact and whirling about to be safe. The waltz melodies themselves were first used as variations in traditional cotillions and contra dances, and that was likely where these two waltzes were first heard. The first of this pair is from W. M. Cahusac's Annual Collection of Twelve Favorite Country Dances from 1801, and the second was composed by John Payne in 1807. The particular Duke of Kent for whom they were named was Edward Augustus (1767-1820), the fourth son of King George III, and the father of Queen Victoria. He served as commander-in-chief of the British forces in Canada from 1799 to 1800 and was the first member of the royal family to actually live in North America.
