Life and Times of Her Majesty Caroline Matilda, Vol. 2 (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. 2 (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
Before the queen commenced her journey on January 17 to Kronborg, the
first thing she said, when maid Arnsberg announced to her that Count
Rantzau was there with several officers, was: "Where is the count?"
After this, her most Gracious Majesty ran in her night-dress down the
privy stairs to Struensee's rooms, in order to seek the count. As,
however, she only found his valet, who was under arrest, she said to
the guards that they must fetch the count for her on peril of their
heads.
At Kronborg, where her Majesty is now residing, (!) she one night
asked maid Arnsberg where the count was; and when the latter answered,
"In the citadel," the queen said: "Is he in chains, or does he have
anything to eat? does he know that I am at Kronborg?" Hence, then, her
Majesty's memory is still burdened with a tender memory of the count.
Such are the confessions and proofs on which this question, unique in
its way, is founded. In my indictment I have contented myself with
merely writing down and quoting the words of her Majesty, Count
Struensee, and the witnesses, in order not to venture reflections
of my own, and thus insult the illustrious person against whom my
instructions compel me to plead.
I venture to hope that I have written in accordance with the commands
given me, without encroaching on the reverence and deep respect which I
owe to her Majesty.
And as the witnesses, to whose statements on oath I have appealed,
were not examined in her Majesty's exalted presence, owing to the
most submissive respect entertained for her Majesty's exalted rank
and birth, although by the law this should be done, I expect that
her Majesty's advocate, Herr Uldall, will make a declaration to the
commission that he has no objections to raise to the credibility
of the witnesses; and, as both her Majesty's own acknowledgment,
and Count Struensee's confession, have been in every way confirmed
by the evidence of the witnesses, there is no reason for believing
the confession to be untrue. I, therefore, in the name of his royal
Majesty, demand a verdict:--
"That by virtue of the fifth paragraph of the sixteenth section of the
third book of the Code, her Majesty Caroline Matilda, shall be declared
guilty of having broken her marriage vow, and that it be dissolved, so
as not to prevent his royal Majesty, the king, from contracting a new
alliance."
O. L. BANG.
_Copenhagen, March 24, 1772._
Every effort was made to procure evidence against the queen, and yet
the result was the wretched _pot-pourri_ which Advocate Bang brought
forward. Among others whom it was attempted to suborn was Sarti the
composer, who had been music-master to Caroline Matilda. So far,
however, from having any such evidence to give as it was sought to
extort from him, Sarti declared that the queen's conduct, of which he
had numerous opportunities of judging, was marked by the most perfect
propriety and decorum, and he utterly repudiated the idea of her guilt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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