young woman to whom dramatic things happen.
Caroline was another source of anxiety. All this scandal. Those men she entertained at Montague House and behaved so wantonly with by all accounts. The terrible scandals that happened in this family! His sons seemed to have no moral standards at all. And he had always been such a virtuous man.
And what was coming out of this Investigation he could not imagine. He knew what his son, the Prince of Wales, wanted. He wanted the case proved against his wife. He wanted a divorce.
‘Shocking, eh, what?’ said the King aloud.
And there was the child, Young Charlotte – all ears. She was a sharp one. His mouth curved into a smile. Little minx, that was Charlotte. But he was glad to have her here under his care.She was his granddaughter. None of them must forget that, and although he was ill and his sight was failing – and his reason too, some said – he was still the King.
The Queen had come into the room. She came unannounced, as she would never have done before his illness. He had been the master then; but now, he was too old, too feeble.
‘Your Majesty, I have come to accompany you to the Drawing Room.’
‘Oh, yes,’ he said, but he continued to sit at the table.
She was looking at him anxiously. She was always watching for the signs. When he began to speak rapidly, when he was incoherent, when the veins stood out at his temples and his face was puce colour she really began to be frightened. It was not that she had a great deal of affection for him. She had never loved him. That had not been possible. When she had come to England he had been kind to her and had successfully hidden his disappointment to find a plain and gauche young German girl was to be his wife when he had dreamed of lovely Sarah Lennox with whom he was in love; he had at least not blamed her, but had meekly accepted his fate while at the same time he made it clear that she should have no power outside her own household; she had come to England to bear children and that was what she had done for twenty years – fifteen children and that didn’t leave much time in between pregnancies.
But when he had lost his reason and she had made her alliance with Mr Pitt against the Prince of Wales and Mr Fox, Queen Charlotte had become quite a power at Court; and when the King had recovered – though not fully – he had been too weak, too ill to oust her from the position she had made for herself.
‘Is there any news?’ he asked.
‘You mean of the Investigation. There is nothing fresh.’
The King shook his head. ‘I thought she was a pleasant woman. Not without good looks … ready to be a good wife …’
The Queen’s mouth shut like a trap; it was thin and wide and even had she possessed perfect features apart from it – which she certainly did not – it would have prevented any claim to beauty.
‘I knew it was wrong, right from the beginning. And so did George.’
The King shook his head and tears came into his eyes. There were almost always tears in his eyes. The Queen was not certain whether they were due to ophthalmic weakness or emotion.
‘I thought he was going to refuse …’ he began.
‘Better if he had,’ retorted the Queen. She felt a grim satisfaction because the marriage had gone wrong. She had had a niece, beautiful, accomplished Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz who had needed a husband at the time – and the Prince, to plague her, had chosen his father’s niece, Caroline of Brunswick, rather than his mother’s.
‘Perhaps it will come right between them,’ said the King.
The Queen gave a snort of laughter. ‘After this Investigation that is hardly likely. She’s a coarse and vulgar creature and George is the most fastidious prince in Europe.’
‘Too much time spent on prancing about in fancy dress. This fellow Brummell …’
‘Oh, you know what George is. He’s always been the same.’ Her expression was one of mingling pride and anger. She had loved her
Caroline was another source of anxiety. All this scandal. Those men she entertained at Montague House and behaved so wantonly with by all accounts. The terrible scandals that happened in this family! His sons seemed to have no moral standards at all. And he had always been such a virtuous man.
And what was coming out of this Investigation he could not imagine. He knew what his son, the Prince of Wales, wanted. He wanted the case proved against his wife. He wanted a divorce.
‘Shocking, eh, what?’ said the King aloud.
And there was the child, Young Charlotte – all ears. She was a sharp one. His mouth curved into a smile. Little minx, that was Charlotte. But he was glad to have her here under his care.She was his granddaughter. None of them must forget that, and although he was ill and his sight was failing – and his reason too, some said – he was still the King.
The Queen had come into the room. She came unannounced, as she would never have done before his illness. He had been the master then; but now, he was too old, too feeble.
‘Your Majesty, I have come to accompany you to the Drawing Room.’
‘Oh, yes,’ he said, but he continued to sit at the table.
She was looking at him anxiously. She was always watching for the signs. When he began to speak rapidly, when he was incoherent, when the veins stood out at his temples and his face was puce colour she really began to be frightened. It was not that she had a great deal of affection for him. She had never loved him. That had not been possible. When she had come to England he had been kind to her and had successfully hidden his disappointment to find a plain and gauche young German girl was to be his wife when he had dreamed of lovely Sarah Lennox with whom he was in love; he had at least not blamed her, but had meekly accepted his fate while at the same time he made it clear that she should have no power outside her own household; she had come to England to bear children and that was what she had done for twenty years – fifteen children and that didn’t leave much time in between pregnancies.
But when he had lost his reason and she had made her alliance with Mr Pitt against the Prince of Wales and Mr Fox, Queen Charlotte had become quite a power at Court; and when the King had recovered – though not fully – he had been too weak, too ill to oust her from the position she had made for herself.
‘Is there any news?’ he asked.
‘You mean of the Investigation. There is nothing fresh.’
The King shook his head. ‘I thought she was a pleasant woman. Not without good looks … ready to be a good wife …’
The Queen’s mouth shut like a trap; it was thin and wide and even had she possessed perfect features apart from it – which she certainly did not – it would have prevented any claim to beauty.
‘I knew it was wrong, right from the beginning. And so did George.’
The King shook his head and tears came into his eyes. There were almost always tears in his eyes. The Queen was not certain whether they were due to ophthalmic weakness or emotion.
‘I thought he was going to refuse …’ he began.
‘Better if he had,’ retorted the Queen. She felt a grim satisfaction because the marriage had gone wrong. She had had a niece, beautiful, accomplished Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz who had needed a husband at the time – and the Prince, to plague her, had chosen his father’s niece, Caroline of Brunswick, rather than his mother’s.
‘Perhaps it will come right between them,’ said the King.
The Queen gave a snort of laughter. ‘After this Investigation that is hardly likely. She’s a coarse and vulgar creature and George is the most fastidious prince in Europe.’
‘Too much time spent on prancing about in fancy dress. This fellow Brummell …’
‘Oh, you know what George is. He’s always been the same.’ Her expression was one of mingling pride and anger. She had loved her
Similar Books
