Horace Walpole and His World: Select Passages from His LettersWalpole, Horace
General
Horace Walpole and His World: Select Passages from His Letters
Walpole, Horace
Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797 -- Correspondence
“When we least expected the Queen, she came, after being ten
days at sea, but without sickness for above half-an-hour. She
was gay the whole voyage, sung to her harpsichord, and left
the door of her cabin open. They made the coast of Suffolk
last Saturday, and on Monday morning she landed at Harwich; so
prosperously has Lord Anson executed his commission. She lay
that night at your old friend Lord Abercorn’s, at Witham in
Essex; and, if she judged by her host, must have thought she
was coming to reign in the realm of taciturnity. She arrived
at St. James’s a quarter after three on Tuesday the 8th. When
she first saw the Palace she turned pale: the Duchess of
Hamilton smiled. ‘My dear Duchess,’ said the Princess, ‘_you_
may laugh; you have been married twice; but it is no joke to
me.’ Is this a bad proof of her sense? On the journey they
wanted her to curl her toupet. ‘No, indeed,’ said she, ‘I
think it looks as well as those of the ladies who have been
sent for me: if the King would have me wear a periwig, I will;
otherwise I shall let myself alone.’ The Duke of York gave
her his hand at the garden-gate: her lips trembled, but she
jumped out with spirit. In the garden the King met her; she
would have fallen at his feet; he prevented and embraced her,
and led her into the apartments, where she was received by the
Princess of Wales and Lady Augusta: these three princesses only
dined with the King. At ten the procession went to chapel,
preceded by unmarried daughters of peers, and peeresses in
plenty. The new Princess was led by the Duke of York and
Prince William; the Archbishop married them; the King talked
to her the whole time with great good humour, and the Duke
of Cumberland gave her away. She is not tall, nor a beauty;
pale, and very thin; but looks sensible, and is genteel. Her
hair is darkish and fine; her forehead low, her nose very
well, except the nostrils spreading too wide; her mouth has
the same fault, but her teeth are good.[32] She talks a good
deal, and French tolerably; possesses herself, is frank, but
with great respect to the King. After the ceremony, the whole
company came into the drawing-room for about ten minutes, but
nobody was presented that night. The Queen was in white and
silver; an endless mantle of violet-coloured velvet, lined
with ermine, and attempted to be fastened on her shoulder by
a bunch of large pearls, dragged itself and almost the rest
of her clothes halfway down her waist. On her head was a
beautiful little tiara of diamonds; a diamond necklace, and
a stomacher of diamonds, worth three score thousand pounds,
which she is to wear at the Coronation too. Her train was
borne by the ten bridesmaids, Lady Sarah Lenox, Lady Caroline
Russell, Lady Caroline Montagu, Lady Harriot Bentinck, Lady
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account