We spent the night here in a bed which I thought very odd because I had never seen the like. But I was supposed to regard it with some awe as it had once been Queen Elizabeth’s and she had slept in it many times.
Queen Elizabeth was the arch heretic and I certainly did not feel the respect that they seemed to consider due to her. In fact I found the idea repulsive and I made no attempt to hide the fact. Charles ignored my hints and behaved as though I were perfectly contented.
We stayed only a few days at Somerset House, which was too near the city for us to be safe from infection, but during that time the King went to Parliament to make his opening speech. I gathered it was not a great success though he did not tell me so. He never spoke to me on serious matters. I suppose I did not encourage confidences at that time. He must have thought me a frivolous and rather stupid little girl—which I suppose I was.
It was Mamie who told me that he had asked for money from the Parliament which would mean taxing the people, and the people hated to be taxed.
“There are many things they don’t like,” Mamie told me. “They don’t like Buckingham much.”
“I don’t blame them,” I retorted. “Why don’t they like him? Do they know how badly he behaved with my brother’s wife?”
“Oh, they wouldn’t care about that. It is not a matter of morals. People in high places can do exactly as they like in that respect. The old King doted on him…his Steenie as he called him because he said he bore a resemblance to St. Stephen. He was his favorite young man, and he had lots of young men around him. But Buckingham is too ambitious. He fancies himself as a statesman and a ruler more than he does a lap dog…which was what most of the handsome young men were content to be. Well, the old King has died and now they say that Buckingham is getting a hold on the new one.”
“A hold on Charles!”
“Well, he listens to him. He’s his greatest friend. They went to Spain together, didn’t they, when Charles was courting the Spanish Princess? And then he came to France when it was your turn.”
“So the people don’t like Buckingham. Do you know, I don’t think he likes me.”
“Nonsense. It’s not for him to like or dislike you. You represent the alliance with France and he worked for that, didn’t he?”
“Oh, I am glad the people don’t like him. It shows they have some sense…even if they are heretics.”
Mamie laughed at me and said I should have to grow up.
The plague was getting worse, so it was decided we should leave Somerset House for Hampton Court.
I was impressed by Hampton Court from the moment I saw it. This was more like a royal residence. Approaching it from the river was to see it in all its imposing glory. When I stepped ashore and crossed the splendid gardens to the entrance of the palace I felt I was indeed the Queen of a great country.
I think there were about fifteen hundred rooms in the palace which had been built by Cardinal Wolsey at the height of his glory and taken from him by King Henry the Eighth who could not bear that a subject should live more grandly than he did. The rooms were vast—each of the fireplaces was big enough to roast an ox. The furnishings were drab but I was fast discovering that the English lacked the refined tastes of the French. They seemed either drab or garish in my eyes. But they could not detract from the splendor of Hampton Court.
“This is where we shall stay for a while,” Charles told me. “Here we shall spend our honeymoon.”
A honeymoon meant getting to know each other and as the days passed I realized that our relationship did not grow warmer as we began to know each other more intimately.
Mamie urged me to try harder to like my husband.
“I think,” she said, “that he is ready to love you. He finds you very attractive physically.”
“I don’t find him so.”
“But if you tried….”
“Mamie, don’t be silly. How can you try to love someone? You either do or you don’t.”
“You can be understanding. Try to see what it is that you don’t like and then try….”
“He never laughs. He is so serious. He doesn’t approve of so much that I do. And, Mamie, he doesn’t like you.”
“That matter of the coach was very unfortunate…happening as it did right at the beginning.”
“It is over and forgotten.”
“Some things are never forgotten.”
“Well, he had better stop disliking you, for I shall not like him until he does.”
“Dearest, you are very willful.”
“I am as I am…and I will not change for anyone.”
“You are very young. When you grow older you will learn that we all have to change sometimes…. We have to adjust ourselves to circumstances.”
“I will not. I will be myself and any who don’t like that can do as they please. I don’t care.”
Mamie shrugged her shoulders; she knew it was no use trying to make me see reason when I was in a certain mood.
I was incensed when Buckingham came to me, and from that time I hated him more than ever.
It was downright impertinent and when I realized that Charles had sent him, I hated them both and determined that I would do everything I could to annoy them.
Buckingham tried to look severe. He more or less demanded an audience, which I should have refused, but I didn’t out of curiosity to know why he should come to see me.
I expected him to pay compliments and treat me as though I was a pretty woman as well as a queen. I might have relented a little if he had. He was bold, he was blatant, and I remembered the manner in which he had tried to seduce the Queen of France right under my brother’s nose.
He looked at me coolly, rather as though I were a recalcitrant child, and said: “The King is displeased.”
“For what reason?” I asked.
“Because of your conduct to him.”
“And the King tells you this?”
“I have volunteered to convey his displeasure to you.”
“That,” I said with sarcasm, “is noble of you.”
“The King says you show no affection toward him.”
“And what concern is that of yours, my lord?”
“It is my concern because the King tells me and has asked me to speak to you on this matter.”
“So you are to plead with me to love him? Why? Are you such a clever supplicant? You were not particularly successful with my sister-in-law the Queen of France.”
Buckingham’s handsome face flushed a dull plum color. I had touched him on a vulnerable spot and I rejoiced. He looked at me steadily while the flush on his face slowly faded, leaving it rather pale.
“I have to tell you that if you do not show more affection to the King and conform more with his wishes, you will be a very unhappy woman.”
“Pray do not concern yourself, my Lord Buckingham. I can manage my own affairs.”
“It would be wise for you to show a little pleasure in the King’s company. You laugh and sing with your French companions and as soon as the King arrives with his English ones you become sullen and silent.”
“Then it is for the King and his English attendants to amuse me as my own friends do.”
“It is for you, Madam, to please the King. We are all his subjects…even you…and it would be wise for you to remember that.”
“My Lord Buckingham, I no longer have need of your presence.”
He bowed and for a moment our eyes met and I knew in that moment that he hated me as much as I hated him.
Mamie was very upset when I told her what had happened. She chided me a little for the way in which I had received him.
“I will not pretend,” I said fiercely.