Lives of the Queens of England of the House of Hanover, volume 2 (of 2)Doran, Dr. (John)
History
Lives of the Queens of England of the House of Hanover, volume 2 (of 2)
Doran, Dr. (John)
Hanover, House of; Queens -- Great Britain -- Biography
Through Lord Liverpool the Regent returned for answer that she was
entirely free to go or stay; that no restraint whatever would be put
upon her in that respect; that, as regarded the Rangership, on her
resignation of that office, the Regent would see to its being filled
up by a properly qualified person; with respect to Montague House, the
daughter of the Prince Regent could never be permitted by him to reside
in a house which had ever been the dwelling-place of the Princess of
Wales.
This reply--the Princess’s comment on which was ‘end well, all
well’--reached her at Worthing, whither, after a brief interview
with her daughter, she had already repaired. She remained in the
neighbourhood but a few days after she received the desired missive,
and the ‘Jason’ frigate, commanded by Captain King, lay in the offing,
waiting her pleasure and convenience to embark. She lingered during
those few days as if reluctant, after all, to leave the land where she
had not known an hour’s happiness since she had first set her foot
upon its shore. She would linger on the beach at night, regardless of
the admonitions of her attendants, sitting dreamily and despondingly,
gazing over the waters or at the moon by which they were illumined, and
once breaking from her reverie with the ejaculation: ‘Well, grief is
unavailing when fate impels me.’
On the 9th of August, she for the last time appeared on Worthing
beach, with Lady Charlotte Lindsey and Lady Elizabeth Forbes. It was
her intention to embark from thence, but fearful of the crowd that
was then collecting, she quietly withdrew to South Lancing, about two
miles off, whither the captain’s barge proceeded to meet her. She was
followed, however, by nearly all the persons, in carriages, mounted
or on foot, whose curiosity, it may be added, was especially aroused
by the appearance of a large tin-case among the luggage, on which was
painted in white letters, ‘Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales,
to be always with her.’ It seemed as if she for ever wished to have
some mystery attached to her, or that she desired the mystification of
others. Her domestics had gone on board at Worthing. On South Lancing
beach she appeared dressed in ‘a dark cloth pelisse with large gold
clasps, and a cap of velvet and green satin, of the Prussian hussar
costume, with a green feather.’ She was, with her ladies, driven down
to the beach, in a pony chaise, by her own coachman.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account