Great Britain -- History -- Victoria, 1837-1901; Queens -- Great Britain -- Biography; Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901
Such was the confusion of affairs at Sidmouth, that the Duchess found
herself without the means of returning to London. Prince Leopold
hurried down, and himself conducted his sister and her family, by slow
and bitter stages, to Kensington. The widowed lady, in her voluminous
blacks, needed all her equanimity to support her. Her prospects were
more dubious than ever. She had £6000 a year of her own; but her
husband's debts loomed before her like a mountain. Soon she learnt
that the Duchess of Clarence was once more expecting a child. What had
she to look forward to in England? Why should she remain in a foreign
country, among strangers, whose language she could not speak, whose
customs she could not understand? Surely it would be best to {22}
return to Amorbach, and there, among her own people, bring up her
daughters in economical obscurity. But she was an inveterate optimist;
she had spent her life in struggles, and would not be daunted now. And
besides, she adored her baby. 'C'est mon bonheur, mes délices, mon
existence,' she declared; the darling should be brought up as an
English princess, whatever lot awaited her. Prince Leopold came
forward nobly with an offer of an additional £3000 a year; and the
Duchess remained at Kensington.[7]
The child herself was extremely fat, and bore a remarkable resemblance
to her grandfather. 'C'est l'image du feu Roi!' exclaimed the Duchess.
'C'est le Roi Georges en jupons,' echoed the surrounding ladies, as the
little creature waddled with difficulty from one to the other.[8]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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