Life and Times of Her Majesty Caroline Matilda, Vol. 3 (of 3): Queen of Denmark and Norway, and Sister of H. M. George III. of England — John Shaqi
Life and Times of Her Majesty Caroline Matilda, Vol. 3 (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. 3 (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
In the protocol we find the said order of December 21, under No. 709,
quoted with the correct date. After this, several other cabinet orders
were drawn up, to No. 733, on December 22, 23, and 24; but the second
cabinet order of December 24 is not found among them, but a space is left
open at the very end, in order to book it afterwards. But in the extract
from the cabinet orders expedited from December 18 to 25, which was drawn
up on December 31, and afterwards laid before his Majesty, we find these
two orders of December 21 and 24 quoted together at the end, under the
numbers 22 and 23, just as if they had been expedited at the same time
and under the same date, while, on the contrary, the cabinet orders
issued from December 22 to 23 are omitted from this extract. From this
a general idea of the completeness and trustworthiness of these extracts
may be formed.
This protocol further proves how Count Struensee--although he had
long before sufficiently provided that no one should bring before the
king either verbally or in writing anything that might injure him,
Struensee--found himself obliged, at the time when the guards were
dismissed, to take just precautions. For under date of December 23 he
expedited two cabinet orders, one to (the Danish chief postmaster)
Etats-rath Waitz, in Hamburg, that the packets for his Majesty sent by
post should be addressed to the cabinet, the other to Court-Intendant
Wegener, by which all letters and parcels sent to the king, and letters
and portfolios that came in from Copenhagen, should not be delivered
in the king's ante-chamber, but in the cabinet. One of these orders,
though they immediately concerned the king, was entirely omitted in the
above-mentioned extract, while the other was quoted imperfectly, so that
his Majesty was not at all informed of these regulations.
Just as Count Struensee more and more evinced his distrust of the nation,
so the reciprocal hatred of the nation against him increased more and
more (and was expressed), in various ways. Thus, in the summer of 1771,
various pasquinades were in circulation, and although their contents and
style sufficiently proved that they emanated from the common people,
still they all displayed the strongest attachment to his Majesty's
person, and a readiness to sacrifice life and blood for him, while the
bitterness had no other object but the privy cabinet minister and his
adherents.
This, and the fact that a few sailors and others who believed themselves
insulted, went out to Hirschholm in order to lay their complaints before
his Majesty himself, caused Count Struensee such terror, that he made
preparations and was on the point of taking flight and running away.
As he, however--probably by the advice of his friends--desisted from
this design, it seemed as if he, on the other hand, prepared to maintain
himself in his post, and against everybody, in every possible way. This
gave cause to various hitherto unknown measures.
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