Jane Austen's Emma was dedicated to a specific person, though this dedication was not entirely Austen's idea or pleasure. This person was the Prince Regent, a fervent admirer of Austen's work, who invited her to visit his residence in London on November 13, 1815. Emma is the only one of Austen's novels to be dedicated to anyone since Austen was not as ardent of an admirer of the Prince as he was of her. At this point in time, the Prince would have read Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and potentially parts of Emma. There are some speculations that Austen most likely wrote letters about this interaction and visit with the Prince to her sister Cassandra. But these letters no longer seem to exist due to their potential "anti-P.R sentiments" (Deb). Emma's dedication is as follows: 

"TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT,

THIS WORK IS, BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS’S PERMISSION,
MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,
BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS’S
DUTIFUL AND OBEDIENT HUMBLE SERVANT,

THE AUTHOR" (Deb).

Deb, BookLady. “Jane Austen's Visit to Carlton House ~ November 13, 1815.” Jane Austen in Vermont, 13 Nov. 2015, https://janeausteninvermont.blog/2015/11/13/jane-austens-visit-to-carlto....