Life and Times of Her Majesty Caroline Matilda, Vol. 1 (of 3): Queen of Denmark and Norway, and Sister of H. M. George III. of EnglandWraxall, Lascelles, Sir
History
Life and Times of Her Majesty Caroline Matilda, Vol. 1 (of 3): Queen of Denmark and Norway, and Sister of H. M. George III. of England
Wraxall, Lascelles, Sir
Caroline Mathilde, Queen, consort of Christian VII, King of Denmark, 1751-1775; Denmark -- History -- Christian VII, 1766-1808
Such were the universal prejudice, and the language of the most moderate
men. At the court, on the contrary, they were so satisfied with the
method adopted, that the queen and Struensee actually had drawings made
of the childish amusements of their young Emile, which were engraved and
published. He could be seen in them entering his cold bath, playing at
ball, or using his little rake and spade. They fancied that the entire
universe would applaud this unique example of a truly royal education.
The queen might be mistaken as to her son's education, as it was carried
on by a man of systems, but she was an excellent mother, and paid as much
attention to her children as her position allowed. When on any rainy
day the court was obliged to remain in-doors, the queen did not fail
to appear after dessert, carrying her daughter on one of her arms, and
leading her son by the other hand, while his two little playmates clung
to her skirt. She seemed thoroughly to enjoy the happiness of being a
mother. The prince was neither timid, nor indocile, nor fretful; but his
education was very much behindhand. At the age of nearly four years,
he did not yet know any language, but had made a jargon of Danish and
German, which he had learned from his two playmates. The conclusion at
which Reverdil arrives, though displaying an evident bias, is probably
correct:--
"If the temperature had been less damp; if the young prince had had
a sufficiently strong constitution to withstand these trials; if an
intelligent and almost imperceptible but continued inspection had caused
his amusements to help in developing his reason, this education would
have been worth more than that of all his ancestors."
But this inspection was not made, owing to the jealousy of Struensee, who
considered everything badly done that did not pass through his hands, and
who had undertaken this inspection himself, like all the rest, without
reflecting that he already had a great deal more work than he could do in
the course of the day.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 149: Peut-être lui donna-t-on des choses fortifiantes pour
restaurer sa faiblesse, et qui eurent l'effet de lier les facultés de son
esprit, sans les lui ôter tout-à-fait.--_Mémoires de mon Temps_, p. 56.]
[Footnote 150: This Berger was a surgeon-accoucheur, and favourite of
Struensee. He must not be confounded with Etats-rath von Berger, the
physician in ordinary, who had retired from court.]
[Footnote 151: "Authentische Aufklärungen."]
[Footnote 152: She was the mother of Christian Augustus, Duke of
Schleswig-Holstein Sonderburg Augustenburg, who was deprived of his
rights by the London treaty of 1852; of Prince Frederick of Noër; and of
the Dowager Queen Amelia, widow of Christian VIII., King of Denmark.]
[Footnote 153: "Annual Register, 1771."]
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