The Third George Page 8

  There was disappointment, for this ceremony was always enjoyed by all except the principal actors; however, the King's show of resolution was admired and no one could gainsay his orders.

  So, taking Charlotte by the hand he led her away to the nuptial bedchamber.

  The King was apologetic. "We met only for the first time today," he said, 'and you will be feeling that I am almost a stranger.”

  "Indeed not," she answered. "I have heard little mentioned that did not concern you since the day the news arrived that you had spoken for me.”

  "Then ... I am glad.”

  "I trust I am not as a stranger to you.”

  "No ... as you heard of me, so I heard of you.”

  They faced each other nervously. The King said: "I daresay you will agree with me that finding ourselves in this position we must do our duty.”

  "It is what I shall always wish to do... my duty.”

  And so while the Court speculated on what was happening in the royal bedchamber, George and Charlotte were solemnly doing their duty.

  The comic coronation

  It was the day after the wedding. Charlotte sat at her mirror while her attendants prepared her for the levee. They were watching her curiously and she knew why. They would very much like to know what she thought of married life. Charlotte was by no means discontented with it. The King could scarcely be called a passionate lover but he was kind. That was what pleased her so much.

  She had been dreading their first encounter and it had passed without undue discomfort; and she was now initiated into married life and knew what was expected of her and that if she could bear children she would be a successful Queen.

  On waking she had immediately thought of the chief bridesmaid, for she was sure that the King had been thinking of her too, and no doubt wishing her in Charlotte's place. But she knew enough of the ways of Court to be aware of the fact that many a Queen had arrived in her new land to find her husband's mistress in possession of his affections. She did not believe Sarah Lennox was George's mistress; and she felt extraordinarily optimistic since her new intimacy with the King; she believed that now he was a husband he would soon stop hankering after that girl.

  Her women were whispering together. There was one whom she had not noticed before; flamboyant and beautiful, though no longer young. The woman was saying: "And my Lord Hardwicke met His Majesty coming from the bedchamber and His Majesty seemed in good spirits. He said it was a very fine day; to which my lord replied with accompanying leer: "Yes, Sire, and it was a very fine night." At which His Majesty was not amused.”

  The titter of laughter which followed this gave Charlotte an indication of the sort of joke these women were making although they spoke in English. She had however caught the words His Majesty for those were two with which she had already become familiar. I must learn English quickly, she thought. They must not be allowed to chatter so in my presence and I not know what they say. She asked the Marchioness who the lady was.

  "It is Elizabeth Chudleigh, Madam, whom the Princess Dowager has appointed to serve you.”

  "Pray present her to me.”

  Elizabeth Chudleigh swept a deep curtsey. Her eyes seemed to be filled with mischief but how could Charlotte complain of that.

  Elizabeth Chudleigh was thinking: My God, what have they given the poor boy now! I'll warrant he's thinking of pretty Sarah or perhaps his beautiful Hannah. What a tale I could tell little Crocodile-Mouth if I wished. Elizabeth was sure of herself. She had played her part in the Hannah Light foot affair, for the King Prince of Wales then, of course had confided in her and asked her help. Was it not Elizabeth who had found the rooms in the Haymarket where George had had those clandestine meetings with his Quakeress? What a part she had played in the elopement. And what great good it had brought her for that sly old matron, the Princess Dowager, would have dismissed her from Court long ago had Elizabeth not been in a position to work a little courteous blackmail. And Lord Bute was afraid of her too!

  Well, Elizabeth was now deep in her own affairs; wondering how she was going to get the Duke of Kingston to marry her. He was her doting lover and she the mistress without whom he could not live but she had married Hervey and she would have to extricate herself from that entanglement somehow. In the meantime she was biding her time and waiting on the newly arrived Queen.

  Poor child, thought Elizabeth. Should one warn her of the King's infatuation for the Lennox girl?

  Should one tell her that if she were clever she could beat her mother-in-law at her own game? No.

  Keep out, thought Elizabeth. The great project was how to become the Duchess of Kingston. Let the Queen look after herself.

  "You have been serving the Princess Dowager, I presume," said Charlotte in French.

  "Yes, Your Majesty. I think she chose me because the King himself has always honoured me by his interest in my welfare.”

  "I am pleased to hear it.”

  "You are gracious, Madam. I shall hope to serve you faithfully, for that is what His Majesty would wish.”

  She is clever and wise, thought Charlotte. She is a woman of great experience. Did they say Miss Chudleigh. Odd that she had not married and become a Countess or Duchess. She would have to find out more about this intriguing woman. She was ready for the levee and left for the drawing room. There she found her bridesmaids assembled and was quickly aware of Sarah Lennox, looking fresh and lovely and as beautiful in her gown of velvet as she had in her white and silver bridesmaid's clothes with the circlet of diamonds on her head.

  As her position warranted she took her place near the throne, by which Charlotte was standing, as one by one the peers and peeresses came to do homage to her. She felt suddenly alone because she could not speak English and once again she was determined to learn as quickly as she could. The Marchioness was announcing the names of the people as they approached the Queen; they then knelt and kissed her hand and swore allegiance.

  "Lord Westmorland," said the Marchioness; and that nobleman came forward, peering from side to side for he was, the Marchioness whispered to her, almost blind.

  Charlotte smiled at him kindly but he did not see her, and, to the outward consternation and secret amusement of all, he knelt and took the hand of Sarah Lennox who was standing close to the Queen.

  "No ... no ..." hissed the Marchioness, while Sarah sprang back as though she had been bitten.

  The Queen held out her hand and Lord Westmorland kissed it. Charlotte did not see the old man; she was aware only of the hush which had fallen on the assembly.

  Charlotte had her first clash with her mother-in-law a few days later. She was preparing to take Communion and her ladies had put out all her new jewels, since this was an occasion when they believed she would wear them. The Princess Augusta, the elder of George's sisters, had come to her apartment to see her and so was present when Charlotte announced that she did not believe it was seemly to take Communion in a tiara and stomacher of diamonds.

  "Why not?" Augusta asked in her peremptory way. Charlotte resented the Princess's attitude towards her, but as they were both speaking in French a language foreign to them both she could never be sure whether she had interpreted correctly.

  "It does not seem to me to show proper respect.”

  Augusta laughed; she had a harsh unpleasant laugh. She was resentful that George who was younger than she was should have married before her; and she had always thought it unfair that she, the first born, should have been a girl. This attitude did not endear her to Charlotte, though she was secretly amused that George had got a little Crocodile (it was a term which was being applied to Charlotte on account of that ungainly mouth of hers which everyone admitted did call the obnoxious creatures to mind) when he had set his heart on flighty Sarah Lennox.

  Augusta had done all she could to foil that romance and she had often succeeded in discomfiting Madame Sarah; all the same this did not endear her to Charlotte, who was not only younger than herself, but above her in position, being Queen of E
ngland. And come from some wretched little state which no one had heard of before the suggested marriage, thought Augusta.

  "We feel it would show a lack of respect to appear without them.”

  "I do not believe the disciples wore jewels at the Last Supper.”

  Impudent little crocodile, thought Augusta. So she would argue! "They had none. That's why.”

  "I do not think jewels in keeping with the occasion," said Charlotte with a touch of that authority which she had displayed to her attendants on her way to London.

  "And I shall continue in the way I have been brought up to believe is the right one.”

  Augusta flushed angrily and asked leave to depart. This was given with alacrity, and once out of the apartment Augusta made haste to her mother's apartment.

  "Charlotte is a most arrogant creature," she declared.

  "She despises our customs and tells me she will keep to those in which she was brought up and which are so much better than ours.”

  The Princess Dowager was alert. They would have to keep their eyes on Charlotte. The whole reason for marrying her to George was that they, she and Lord Bute, might keep their control of him.

  "What is this?" she demanded.

  Her daughter told her version of what had happened, and the Princess Dowager decided that something should be done. She went to the Queen's apartment just as Charlotte, simply clad without her jewels, was about to leave for Communion.

  "But you are not going to Communion like that!" cried the outraged Princess Dowager.

  "I am," answered Charlotte. Oh, yes, thought her mother-in-law, she is arrogant.

  "No, my dear. We would consider that a direct insult to God.”

  "I am sure He would not.”

  So she was flippant, blasphemous. A very firm hand was needed. "My dear daughter, now you are here you will want to learn our customs. You will not want to offend people by behaving as you do in your brother's little dukedom.”

  Charlotte flushed. "I cannot see what difference...”

  "You will learn, my dear.”

  The Queen replied: "I shall first of all learn the language.”

  The Princess Dowager stood like a redoubtable old general blocking her way. The Queen was not going to pass. She saw Elizabeth Chudleigh and told her rapidly in English to bring Lord Bute to her without delay.

  Elizabeth, smiling secretly, hurried off. Meanwhile Charlotte, flustered, uncertain, never having considered that she would have to face such a situation, was undecided how to act.

  "Let us sit down," said the Princess.

  "Where is your tiara? Pray fetch it," she said to one of the maids. It was brought and she put it gently on Charlotte's head.

  "How becoming. Why it makes you pretty." The eyes which regarded Charlotte were as cold as a snake's. "I cannot think why you do not wish to wear the King's gift on every occasion.”

  "It is charming," said Charlotte. "I have never possessed such jewels; but I do not consider them suitable to be worn at Communion.”

  Lord Bute had arrived. He looked deeply concerned; he kissed the Queen's hand and that of the Princess Dowager. The latter's eyes softened at the sight of him; hard as she was where everyone else was concerned, she was soft for this man. Even now that they had been lovers for years her affection was apparent whenever she looked at him; it was in the inflection of her voice when she spoke to him.

  "Lord Bute, the Queen wishes you to set her right on this little matter of custom. Lord Bute, my dear, things as the King thinks. They have never had a disagreement. He will tell you what should be done and you may believe him. Her Majesty wishes to go to Communion without her jewels. I have told her that she should wear them ... that it would be considered most unseemly if she did not. She would offend people here if they thought she was not paying due respect to God and religion. That is so, my lord, is it not?”

  "It is assuredly so," said Lord Bute.

  "I do not find if so," persisted Charlotte stubbornly. She was almost in tears, and angry with herself that she should be so over such a silly matter.

  "I have told Her Majesty that she will learn our ways," said the Princess.

  "She must not be despondent if she does not grasp them all at once.”

  "I am sure Her Majesty will know our customs as well as we do ourselves... in a very short time.”

  "In the meantime...”

  "In the meantime," interrupted the Princess Dowager, 'you wish us to advise you. Rest assured, my dear daughter, that we shall be most happy to do so and save you from the embarrassment which would otherwise result.”

  Charlotte continued to look stubborn. It did not improve her looks.

  What a plain creature she is! thought Bute. I wonder George doesn't rebel. Serve her right if he makes Sarah Lennox his mistress. Not that that sly old Fox will allow that. A pox on these silly squabbles, but Augusta was right of course to take this stand. The girl must not have her head turned by hearing herself referred to constantly as the Queen of England.

  "I will have a word with His Majesty," he told her benignly.

  "I am sure when you hear his ruling you will be convinced.”

  There was one thing Charlotte had been taught in her home and that was that she must obey her husband, and if the King said she must wear her jewels to Communion, then she must. She was distressed more because of the folly of the situation than anything else, and perhaps because in her heart she guessed that this was an indication. Her powerful mother-in-law and Lord Bute expected her to do as she was told. She looked at them defiantly. She would not go to Communion bejewelled or otherwise until she had heard what the King had to say.

  Lord Bute found the King in his apartments. He went in unceremoniously. He wanted the King and everyone to realize the intimacy between them.

  "A little difficulty between the Queen and your mother," he whispered. "I am certain that between us we shall quickly put it to rights.”

  "A difficulty!" echoed the King.

  "Yes, my dear Majesty ... a matter of jewels. The Queen feels she should not wear them and your mother feels she should.”

  "Should it not be a matter for the Queen to decide?”

  "This is for Communion. Perhaps an occasion for ceremony.”

  "I... I should not have thought so.”

  Bute was cautious. Here was a situation which he and the Princess Dowager had feared. If the Queen was allowed to have her own way she would quickly be advising the King and one of the first results of this would be to turn him from his mother. A matter of wearing or not wearing jewels was immaterial to Bute; but what was of the utmost importance was that the little Queen should not give herself airs, and that she must be made to understand that the Princess Dowager and her dear friend Lord Bute were the two who had guided His Majesty before his marriage and they intended to go on doing so.

  "Your mother is of the opinion that it shows disrespect to religion not to wear the jewels and I agree with her.”

  The King looked startled.

  "And I have assured her that on consideration Your Majesty will share our view.”

  "But Oh, these ladies! The Queen is charming. Perhaps she is no beauty but she is charming ...

  charming ... and I am sure she has already fallen in love with Your Majesty. That I can well understand and should indeed be surprised if it were not so. But being in love she feels she can lead you. Oh, it is the way with women.”

  "I have no intention of being led.”

  "So I thought. Your Majesty has often remarked on the trouble which has come through kings being led by women and I can remember your saying on more than one occasion that you had no intention of allowing this to happen to you.”

  "That's so. I should never allow any woman to persuade me from what I thought was right.”

  "How fortunate this country is to have such a king. When I consider the last reigns ... No matter.

  We have come safely through and I know you are going to command me to explain to her dear little Majesty
that it is your wish that she wears the jewels. Not that... between ourselves … we see anything of great importance in this. But I know Your Majesty will agree with me that we must make it clear to the Queen that you are determined not to be ruled by her and that it is her duty to obey her husband." Before George could speak, Bute hurried on.

  "This is a blessing, because in this very small matter we can set Her Majesty's feet on the right path. We can make known to her, so discreetly, Your Majesty's policy, for which knowing women I am sure she will respect you ... far more than if you were to give way and allow her to rule you.”

  It all seemed a great bother about a small matter, George thought; but it was true that he was determined not to be governed by women; and Lord Bute was right as usual when he pointed out that Charlotte should be made aware of this in the beginning. Shortly afterwards the Princess Dowager had the satisfaction of seeing the Queen go to Communion in her diamonds.

  **** It was some three weeks after the wedding, a glorious day and 22 September, the day fixed for the coronation. All along the route from the Palace to the Abbey scaffolding had been set up in the streets and high prices were demanded for seats in windows. London was eager to see the new King crowned; he was popular because he was young, had been born in England, looked and spoke like an Englishman and was the first English king they had had since James II; and because they had never cared for him and had sent him packing, they preferred to recall Good Charles's days when that romantic monarch had come back to England on his Restoration and made England merry. That was a hundred years ago and here was another, George, their king, newly ascended the throne and newly married. Of course they must come out on a glorious September day to shout their loyalty. And there was the Queen, too a German, not speaking English, which made them grimace. They were tired of Germans who couldn't or wouldn't speak English. But she was young and if she behaved herself they would accept her, for the King had chosen her in spite of the fact that he had had his eyes on Lady Sarah Lennox whom they would have far preferred. A lovely English girl was better than an ugly German one any day. Still, it was a coronation and a reign always meant new hopes of better times.