Painting Challenge - Character Theme Round

Ok I am taking liberties with the term "Favourite Character", but then again I'm not submitted a spider.  Research told me that minis of my favourite characters (the Dr, Mrs. Peel, the librarian from Discworld) were unobtainable, wouldn't arrive in time or cost an arm and a leg to get here.  Therefore I went to the lead pile to find a figure with Character, from a period with Character hoping to be inspired.

And what I inspired by - well I had this figure.  IIRC, it's a Wargames Illustrated freebie for subscribers and a casting of Prince Rupert by Mark Copplestone.  I am sure that the WI lore masters will correct me on this.  It's a figure that I think has a lot of character, as it should if it's meant to represent the uber-fop and alpha cavalier Rupert.

I've painted him as an officer in the Oxford Blues (later the Royal Horse Guards) circa 1685-1700, based on two illustrations in the Osprey book on the English Army 1660-1704.  This is an era with lots of character particularly for the English army - royal bastards, rival kings, father's being usurped by daughters and sons in laws and Scottish adventurers all vying for the throne at one time or another.

And why was I inspired to look at late 17th century cavalry uniforms?  You guessed it-  I blame Ray Roussell.  The budgie-smuggling, sandbagging badger himself. The man with the infectious enthusiasm of a Labrador retriever puppy in a kindergarten class and an obsessive compulsive need to paint every farking cavalry unit in the French army c 1689.

Thanks to Ray I've bought count them 3 sets of rules aimed at the lace wars in the last month (Beneath the Lily Banners I, Maurice and the Black Powder Last Argument of Kings supplement), plus I've spent far too much time looking at oh so pretty miniatures sold by various manufacturers.   On the plus side, my French and Indian War armies so their first table top action ever, after 15 years of existence, last night as we gave Maurice a try.

Ok have I represented a favourite character - well no.  But I've used a figure with a lot of character, painted for an era with a lot of character and inspired by a gamer with lots of character.   If you don't think that counts well PFFFFFFFFFTTT to you!