thought it never would be when she had lost Louise. She was married to the man she loved and they had a chance of bearing a King or Queen of England.
‘In the circumstances,’ Ernest was saying, ‘I think we should set out for England as soon as possible.’
Frederica laughed aloud. As usual she was in complete agreement with Ernest.
Victoria, the Widow
THE QUEEN HAD asked the Regent to call on her at Kew.
She sat in her chair, her back to the light, that he might not see her face. She felt very ill; her rheumatism was so painful that she could scarcely move; she was so irritable with the Princesses that they were afraid to speak to her. She deplored this but as she did not wish to complain of her pains she must give vent to her feelings somehow.
She was tired and a little resentful with life. Now she had come to enjoy power and had gained the confidence of her dearest son, she was too old to enjoy it.
‘My dearest Madre.’
He had taken her hands and kissed them. As usual his delicately scented person, his elegance and charm delighted her.
‘My dear George, I cannot rise. My limbs are too painful today.’
‘I shall not allow you to rise, Madre dear. I shall seat myself beside you and you shall tell me what it is that troubles you.’
He brought a chair close to hers; he took her hand and caressed it lightly. What beautiful hands he had! And how gracefully he used them! She wondered then as she often had in the past how she and George III had produced such a man. He was so different from them – so much more erudite, endowed with excellent taste, a lover of the arts, the theatre and good manners; she looked with adoration at her beloved Regent.
‘My dear,’ she said, ‘could you bear to talk of our tragedy? Are you sufficiently recovered to bear it?’
The Regent took a perfumed handkerchief and held it to hiseyes. A charming gesture, but his eyes were dry, of course.
‘I must,’ he said, ‘since there has arisen this matter of some urgency.’
‘You are so brave. I knew you would understand. Dear Charlotte is gone and that is a great bereavement in the family. But because Charlotte was the only legitimate child you and your brothers produced it made her of such importance. We have to marry off your brothers … without delay.’
‘Perhaps haste at such a time would appear to be a little unseemly?’
‘That may be. Then we must act in an unseemly fashion if it is wise to do so.’
‘We’ll have no difficulty with William.’
‘That is if we can get a bride to take him. He has been making a laughing-stock of himself after making a scandal with his actress.’
‘Poor William. One cannot blame him.’
‘You are too kind, George. You have always sided with your brothers. I wish to discuss William with you. I think you should without delay give orders that feelers be put out in certain places. Ernest is married to that disgraceful woman, so we can do nothing about him. Adolphus is about to be married; that could be hastened. Augustus committed the folly of going through a ceremony with Augusta Murray and therefore is best left alone. But William and Edward must marry at once.’
‘Have you anyone in mind?’
‘My thoughts have been ranging all over Europe, but the religious question makes it so difficult. There is the Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg.’
‘Leopold’s sister?’
‘Would that matter? She is the widow of the Prince of Leiningen and has proved that she can bear healthy children. She has a boy Charles and a girl Feodore. I have discovered that they are lively, attractive, bright and intelligent. She will do for one of them. And for the other there is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen – Adelaide, I think they call her. Well, I have found our two princesses, Adelaide and Victoria.’
‘You have been your usual wise self, dear Madre.’
‘I knew action had to be taken and speedily. There are fewprincesses available who have the necessary
‘In the circumstances,’ Ernest was saying, ‘I think we should set out for England as soon as possible.’
Frederica laughed aloud. As usual she was in complete agreement with Ernest.
Victoria, the Widow
THE QUEEN HAD asked the Regent to call on her at Kew.
She sat in her chair, her back to the light, that he might not see her face. She felt very ill; her rheumatism was so painful that she could scarcely move; she was so irritable with the Princesses that they were afraid to speak to her. She deplored this but as she did not wish to complain of her pains she must give vent to her feelings somehow.
She was tired and a little resentful with life. Now she had come to enjoy power and had gained the confidence of her dearest son, she was too old to enjoy it.
‘My dearest Madre.’
He had taken her hands and kissed them. As usual his delicately scented person, his elegance and charm delighted her.
‘My dear George, I cannot rise. My limbs are too painful today.’
‘I shall not allow you to rise, Madre dear. I shall seat myself beside you and you shall tell me what it is that troubles you.’
He brought a chair close to hers; he took her hand and caressed it lightly. What beautiful hands he had! And how gracefully he used them! She wondered then as she often had in the past how she and George III had produced such a man. He was so different from them – so much more erudite, endowed with excellent taste, a lover of the arts, the theatre and good manners; she looked with adoration at her beloved Regent.
‘My dear,’ she said, ‘could you bear to talk of our tragedy? Are you sufficiently recovered to bear it?’
The Regent took a perfumed handkerchief and held it to hiseyes. A charming gesture, but his eyes were dry, of course.
‘I must,’ he said, ‘since there has arisen this matter of some urgency.’
‘You are so brave. I knew you would understand. Dear Charlotte is gone and that is a great bereavement in the family. But because Charlotte was the only legitimate child you and your brothers produced it made her of such importance. We have to marry off your brothers … without delay.’
‘Perhaps haste at such a time would appear to be a little unseemly?’
‘That may be. Then we must act in an unseemly fashion if it is wise to do so.’
‘We’ll have no difficulty with William.’
‘That is if we can get a bride to take him. He has been making a laughing-stock of himself after making a scandal with his actress.’
‘Poor William. One cannot blame him.’
‘You are too kind, George. You have always sided with your brothers. I wish to discuss William with you. I think you should without delay give orders that feelers be put out in certain places. Ernest is married to that disgraceful woman, so we can do nothing about him. Adolphus is about to be married; that could be hastened. Augustus committed the folly of going through a ceremony with Augusta Murray and therefore is best left alone. But William and Edward must marry at once.’
‘Have you anyone in mind?’
‘My thoughts have been ranging all over Europe, but the religious question makes it so difficult. There is the Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg.’
‘Leopold’s sister?’
‘Would that matter? She is the widow of the Prince of Leiningen and has proved that she can bear healthy children. She has a boy Charles and a girl Feodore. I have discovered that they are lively, attractive, bright and intelligent. She will do for one of them. And for the other there is the eldest daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen – Adelaide, I think they call her. Well, I have found our two princesses, Adelaide and Victoria.’
‘You have been your usual wise self, dear Madre.’
‘I knew action had to be taken and speedily. There are fewprincesses available who have the necessary
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