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‘Your Majesty, there are some occasions when Kings who have the good of the people to consider should think of nothing but their duty.’
‘And the truth?’
‘Duty, where Kings are concerned, takes precedence over truth.’
‘Then you think...’
‘I think she is dead. I think that unhappy affair is at an end. I think we have a young and good King who will lead his country to greatness. Today he has united himself with a good Queen who will bear him sons to the glorification of this land.’
The King stared at his dear friend.
‘You have always been right,’ he said. ‘I ca
‘I was never more right than I am at this time. I rejoice in Your Majesty’s goodness; in Your Majesty’s marriage; in Your Majesty’s heritage. Sire, there are experiences in all our lives over which we would wish to draw a veil. The thicker that veil very often the better. We make our biggest mistakes when we look back and draw it aside. The past is done with. No good can come by going back...even in thought. Go forward. Long live the King! I say. I trust that this time next year I shall be saying “Long live the Prince of Wales!”’
‘You convince me, my dear friend, as you always have done.’
Bute embraced the King and for a moment. George clung to him as he had when he was a child and this man had come to the schoolroom to help extricate him from some small misdemeanour.
‘You are right,’ he said firmly, ‘My dear friend, you are right. There is no going back. The past must be forgotten. I have my duty to my country and my Queen.’
‘She will be missing you,’ said Bute, smiling.
And George left him and returned to his Queen.
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