Caroline the Queen

She smiled at him affectionately.

‘I see, Madam,’ he said, ‘that you are inclined to agree with me, and that gives me great pleasure.’

Walpole commented to Lord Hervey afterwards that although the Queen’s good sense told her he was right, she was inclined to cling to her own opinions.

Walpole shrugged his shoulders. ‘And if she ca

But as Hervey pointed out it was the government that decided the policy of the country, not the monarch. Absolute monarchy had gone out with the Stuarts.

A

She imparted the news to her mother with the greatest satisfaction. ‘I am to have a child, Mother.’

‘My dearest daughter!’ Caroline embraced her, and checked her own misgivings. What if A

‘I hope for a son, naturally,’ said A

‘Your husband must be delighted.’

‘It is no more than Pepin expects.’

Pepin! she spoke his name affectionately. How could she be so satisfied with her fate!

But there was no doubt that she was delighted to be back in England and she expressed no anxiety because Pepin was at the wars.

It seemed, thought Caroline, that all A

Her new status clearly delighted her as much as it infuriated Frederick. Lord Hervey discovered how angry he was through A

Amelia told A

‘In the usual way,’ retorted A

Caroline tried to make peace between the sisters, but A

In spite of differences with her sisters A

The King was pleased too. He made A

‘Before we came to this place,’ he said darkly.

‘In the days when you were less important than you are now, Papa.’ A

‘Less important! Why I tell you this : In Hanover a ruler is a ruler. Here a King does what a fat man tells him to.’

‘The world takes more account of a King than an Elector, though,’ A

And he would have grown peevish if he had not schooled himself to believe he was a sentimental parent.

When they had parted A

‘You are in more constant attendance on my mother than the King,’ she commented.

‘It is Her Majesty’s wish that I divert her.’

‘As I am sure you do. Poor Mamma! I am glad that she has a little diversion. The company of some people must be very oppressive. I am glad that Lady Suffolk has been dismissed.’

‘Some of us, who are devoted to the Queen, fear that another might take her place who might be more troublesome and more powerful.’

‘Oh, I wish with all my heart that he would find someone else, then Mamma would be a little relieved of seeing him constantly in her rooms.’

Lord Hervey made no comment, but he thought that the Princess A

The King was taking a new interest in his young daughters, Mary and Louisa. Mary was now ten and Louisa nine.

‘An interesting age,’ said the King; and he had begun to make a practice of visiting their nursery. The strange thing was that he contrived to do this when the children were not there, and thus he was ensured a private tête-à-tête with their governess.

Lady Deloraine was a very pretty and very frivolous widow, whose husband Henry Scott, Earl of Deloraine, had died a few years before. She was coquettish, indiscreet, and rather silly; but her extremely feminine charms had attracted the King when, having lost Lady Suffolk, he thought it was necessary to his prestige as a man to look round and find a new mistress.

Lady Deloraine had opened her eyes very wide as he entered the nurseries, had swept a deep curtsey and been very respectful, although at the same time implying by the fluttering of her eyelashes and the little giggle with which she punctuated her speech every now and then that she was aware of the King’s motive.

George lapsed into English when he addressed her, which was a language he used rarely now. If people did not understand French or German, he often said, they must not expect to understand him. It was all part of the growing dislike of the country of which he was king.

Tell,’ he said, ‘you are von pretty voman.’

‘Your Majesty is gracious.’

He took her ear and pinched it very gently, at which she sprang back as though in dismay.

‘And were are your charges?’

‘They are walking, Your Majesty, in the gardens. If you would wish me to have them sent for ...’

‘No ... no.... You shall tell me about them. You are the governess. Ve vill sit down and you vill tell.’

So they sat side by side and the King put his arm about her. She had a good body, he thought; not too thin. He did not like them thin. He liked a good ample figure like his dear wife’s.

‘I fear I am not very learned, Your Majesty.’

‘Oh, for shame and you a governess!’

She pretended to look downcast and he patted her hand. ‘I have no respect for all this learning. Boets! Vat are they? Scribble scribble. It is all very yell for people like little Mr Pope. He has no other things to do. But I alvays felt learning was something below me. Nor for a man ... like going to var or ... making love.’

Lady Deloraine squealed with horror.

The King laughed and looked at his watch.

‘Come,’ he said, ‘ye have the time.’

So he rose and gave her his hand; and squealing with pretended horror and assuring His Majesty that she was a very virtuous woman, she allowed herself to be led into one of the bedchambers.

The Queen was very sad when her daughter departed. Lord Hervey called to find her in the long drawing room with her daughter Caroline.

‘What, Madam,’ he said, ‘drowning your sorrows in chocolate! Ah well, parting is such sweet sorrow, the poet tells us and you, having some respect for boets … er poets ... believe the truth of this.’

The Queen’s face brightened at the sight of her favourite.

‘Come here, you wicked infant,’ she said, ‘and make me laugh, because I am truly sad to think of my dear A

‘Oh, Mamma, he is her husband.’

Lord Hervey turned his eyes to the Princess Caroline and basked for a few seconds in her adoration.

‘The Princess Caroline has the best heart in the world,’ he said.