am sitting by the window writing, Lehzen is keeping guard, and my Duke Papaâs old tortoiseshell watch ticks endlessly. Mamma is so good at keeping it wound just right.
I must confess, I have been reluctant to let Lehzen immediately see the secret diary-hiding places I have discovered so far. At least, I havenât fetched it when I thought for certain that she would see me.
Since the morning I told Lehzen about my diary, she has made only one further remark. When I finally showed it to her (I mean, the cover of it â she has vowed she does not wish to read whatâs in it) she said, âMy princess, allow me to suggest â as well as being free to claim privacy, Your Highness should never forget: Should any individualâs further service merit you overlooking certain faults, you are free to erase . Even the truth . This you should not regard necessarily as dishonesty; it may be only discretion.â
I did not point out that I generally write in ink.
13 June
Strawberries and cream at breakfast.
Strawberries and cream at luncheon.
Strawberries and cream at dinner.
A perfect day.
17 June
Oh, fie, what dismal news. My Uncle Cumberland has decided he ought to stay here in England the whole year round.
Now, I suppose, any time I am lucky enough to be invited to Windsor, I shall have to see Georgie, so it will be a great deal less lucky, should it happen.
22 June
Great, extreme, considerable, enormous HAPPINESS! We shall be going to Claremont to stay with Uncle Leopold for several weeks, and thence to Ramsgate for a lovely, long holiday by the sea! I am very VERY greatly, extremely, considerably, enormously JOYFUL!
De Spaeth helped me put new sky blue ribbons on my straw sun bonnet. She is coming with us, as Mamma canât do without her for long; but she is to return home to Kensington from Ramsgate somewhat before the rest of us. They will have finished the bedrooms and the hallways nearest our apartments by then, and she will make certain things are as they ought to be.
2 July
Claremont
Dear Feo, if only you were here with us, my happiness would be entire! We arrived at mid-afternoon, quite hot and dusty from the ride (and if we were anywhere else, Iâm sure I would have been an unpleasant companion!). But Claremont is my favourite place on all the Earth. (And Ramsgate, as well, except it is so hot there. But really, wherever Uncle Leopold is, that is my favourite place.)
Scarcely had Uncle embraced us and offered us cool drinks, than OâHum told Mamma she should go and lie down to recover from the exertion of so much of the day spent in travel. He went out to the stable to see to the horses. (He is certain Uncle Leopoldâs stable men need more overseeing than they are likely to get.) So he was out of the way for the rest of the afternoon!
When Lehzen and Mrs MacLeod had set the chambermaid to unpacking our trunks and satchels, we changed our travel clothes for light muslin frocks. I put my doll Katherine on my pillow, and we went down to join Uncle. We all sipped lemon squash, and he assured me the hoops and the butterfly nets are just where we left them in the little green shed. Mr Mackintosh, the gardener, can fetch them whenever theyâre wanted. Now I am in Paradise.
Later
Mamma came down at teatime, and she and Lehzen and Uncle gossiped. Mamma seemed almost carefree. Mrs Louis came in from her housekeeping duties, and Uncle invited her to sit with us for a bit, but she does not like to presume above her station. She just wanted to make sure we will tell her if anything can be improved with regard to the maids or the meals or the staff. She curtsied to me just as to Mamma and Uncle, a very deep, old-fashioned dip, right down on her knee. Then she said to Uncle, with tears in her eyes, âPlease to excuse me, Your Royal Highness, but the princess is so like our other Princess.â She was so devoted to Princess Charlotte.
Besides lemon squash and Darjeeling tea
I must confess, I have been reluctant to let Lehzen immediately see the secret diary-hiding places I have discovered so far. At least, I havenât fetched it when I thought for certain that she would see me.
Since the morning I told Lehzen about my diary, she has made only one further remark. When I finally showed it to her (I mean, the cover of it â she has vowed she does not wish to read whatâs in it) she said, âMy princess, allow me to suggest â as well as being free to claim privacy, Your Highness should never forget: Should any individualâs further service merit you overlooking certain faults, you are free to erase . Even the truth . This you should not regard necessarily as dishonesty; it may be only discretion.â
I did not point out that I generally write in ink.
13 June
Strawberries and cream at breakfast.
Strawberries and cream at luncheon.
Strawberries and cream at dinner.
A perfect day.
17 June
Oh, fie, what dismal news. My Uncle Cumberland has decided he ought to stay here in England the whole year round.
Now, I suppose, any time I am lucky enough to be invited to Windsor, I shall have to see Georgie, so it will be a great deal less lucky, should it happen.
22 June
Great, extreme, considerable, enormous HAPPINESS! We shall be going to Claremont to stay with Uncle Leopold for several weeks, and thence to Ramsgate for a lovely, long holiday by the sea! I am very VERY greatly, extremely, considerably, enormously JOYFUL!
De Spaeth helped me put new sky blue ribbons on my straw sun bonnet. She is coming with us, as Mamma canât do without her for long; but she is to return home to Kensington from Ramsgate somewhat before the rest of us. They will have finished the bedrooms and the hallways nearest our apartments by then, and she will make certain things are as they ought to be.
2 July
Claremont
Dear Feo, if only you were here with us, my happiness would be entire! We arrived at mid-afternoon, quite hot and dusty from the ride (and if we were anywhere else, Iâm sure I would have been an unpleasant companion!). But Claremont is my favourite place on all the Earth. (And Ramsgate, as well, except it is so hot there. But really, wherever Uncle Leopold is, that is my favourite place.)
Scarcely had Uncle embraced us and offered us cool drinks, than OâHum told Mamma she should go and lie down to recover from the exertion of so much of the day spent in travel. He went out to the stable to see to the horses. (He is certain Uncle Leopoldâs stable men need more overseeing than they are likely to get.) So he was out of the way for the rest of the afternoon!
When Lehzen and Mrs MacLeod had set the chambermaid to unpacking our trunks and satchels, we changed our travel clothes for light muslin frocks. I put my doll Katherine on my pillow, and we went down to join Uncle. We all sipped lemon squash, and he assured me the hoops and the butterfly nets are just where we left them in the little green shed. Mr Mackintosh, the gardener, can fetch them whenever theyâre wanted. Now I am in Paradise.
Later
Mamma came down at teatime, and she and Lehzen and Uncle gossiped. Mamma seemed almost carefree. Mrs Louis came in from her housekeeping duties, and Uncle invited her to sit with us for a bit, but she does not like to presume above her station. She just wanted to make sure we will tell her if anything can be improved with regard to the maids or the meals or the staff. She curtsied to me just as to Mamma and Uncle, a very deep, old-fashioned dip, right down on her knee. Then she said to Uncle, with tears in her eyes, âPlease to excuse me, Your Royal Highness, but the princess is so like our other Princess.â She was so devoted to Princess Charlotte.
Besides lemon squash and Darjeeling tea
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