He put his head close to hers. ‘Caroline is behaving in quite a shocking manner. I don’t despair of ridding myself of her. And if I did … who knows, I might present the nation with the heir myself. What do you say to that?’
‘I would say,’ said the Queen fervently, ‘that Heaven had granted my dearest wish.’
They were silent for a moment contemplating that happy event.
But they both knew that the House of Hanover could not continue to exist on the hope of a granted wish however dear to them both.
William, Duke of Clarence, called at Kew and asked for an audience with the Queen.
When he was brought to her Charlotte looked at him quizzically. He was not very attractive, she had to admit. He had never had half George’s looks; none of them had, but the others had more presence than William. She had always known it had been a mistake to send him to sea at such an early age. It had certainly not developed his royalty. She had told the King so a hundred times; but he had never taken any notice of her. Now of course he was shut away and had no say in matters at all; and it was hardly likely that he ever would.
It was too late to brood on William’s upbringing now that he was a man of fifty-two; at least he was a Prince, a son of a king and very likely would be the father of one. He had the family’s jaw and protuberant eyes – all the faults of the family which she fondly assured herself George had missed – and she had heard it said that his head was the shape of a pineapple. She could see what was meant by that. No, poor William was not the most attractive of her sons; but the death of young Charlotte had made him one of the most important, due to the unfortunate matrimonial difficulties of his two elder brothers.
‘William, my dear son,’ she said perfunctorily.
‘How are you today, Mamma?’
‘Not as well as I would wish to be. But who of us is? My rheumatism was not improved by the Bath waters. But that may have been due to the shock of Charlotte’s death.’
‘It grieves me to hear it.’
‘I think we are all grieved by this terrible calamity.’
‘I was referring to your rheumatism, Mamma,’ said William.
‘Thank you. But that is a small matter compared with our loss. I believe George will have something very serious to say to you.’
‘I have something very serious to say to you, Mamma. And that is why I have come here to see you.’
‘What is this?’
‘You have always told me that I should marry.’
‘It was your duty to have done so years ago. If you had and those children of yours were legitimate Parliament and the people would be better pleased with the family.’
‘My son George would make a fine King.’
‘The son of an actress! Don’t be ridiculous. The illegitimate son at that!’
William flushed a little. ‘Your Majesty would find it hard to name a more handsome fellow and better soldier.’
‘I’ve no doubt the young man is admirable, but he happens to be your bastard son and his mother was a play actress.’
The Queen looked coldly at her son. William had always been such a fool. He was a little abashed at the reference to Dorothy. It was not that he wanted to forget her; he merely wanted to forget his treatment of her. He wished that he had waited a little until she had died naturally; then there would have been nothing with which to reproach himself.
But he had good news to tell his mother so he said: ‘I am engaged to be married.’
‘What did you say?’ said the Queen.
‘That I have decided to marry. I have chosen my bride.’
‘Then the Regent has spoken to you?’
‘I have not yet told him of my decision.’
‘I did not know that the arrangements had gone so far. So you are pleased with the prospect.’
‘It delights me. I shall go ahead with arrangements as quickly as possible.’
‘It is my fervent hope – and the Regent’s – that you will.’
‘Have no fear. We’ll have the child before the year’s out.’
He really was a little crude. The rough sailor attitude could be carried too far. She wondered what Adelaide was like. But German princesses were brought up to be docile.
‘It should not take long to make the arrangements. I am sure the Duke will have no objection. I believe he would have welcomed the suggestion before.’
‘The Duke?’ asked William bewildered.
‘Adelaide’s father, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.’
‘Adelaide!’
‘The lady’s name.’
‘I don’t understand, Your Majesty. Miss Wykeham’s name is not Adelaide.’
‘And who is Miss Wykeham?’
‘The lady I have asked to marry me and who has accepted me.’
‘William, are you mad?’ In spite of her agitation she wished she had not used that word which was one she rarely allowed to intrude into her vocabulary. It was a constant fear of hers that one of her sons should have inherited his father’s illness.
‘Mad! Indeed not. It is to tell you of this that I called here today. I have asked Miss Wykeham to marry me and she has accepted me, and I see no reason why the marriage should be delayed. Can Your Majesty name one?’
‘I can name several; but I will content myself with giving you one why it should not take place at all.’
‘Not … take … place!’
‘You are going to marry Adelaide, the daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Envoys are being sent to the Duke now. Who is this woman with the ridiculous name?’
‘If you mean Miss Wykeham, I must protest. Her name is not ridiculous and she happens to be a considerable heiress. I gather that is not considered to be an obstacle.’
‘We know your debts are shamefully large; but the possession of wealth does not qualify a commoner to become the mother of a future King of England.’
‘If she has a child she nevertheless will be, for I am going to marry her.’
‘That is where you are mistaken.’
‘I have offered marriage and been accepted. I cannot step out of it now.’
‘You can and you will, for the simple reason that you are going to marry the Princess Adelaide.’
‘I am sorry to disagree with Your Majesty, but I have given my word.’
‘Have you forgotten the Royal Marriage Act, which makes it a law that a member of the family cannot marry without the King’s consent?’
‘Under the age of twenty-five, Mamma. I am a little older than that.’
‘And after that, without the consent of Parliament. Now do you think that the Parliament is going to allow this young woman to be the mother of the future heirs?’
‘I think that when the Parliament realizes that I have given my word it will give its consent.’
‘This cannot be allowed. Leave me now. You have upset me very much.’
William bowed. ‘I am sorry for that,’ he said, ‘but it does not alter the fact that I intend to keep my word to Miss Wykeham.’
When William had left the Queen summoned the Princesses Elizabeth and Sophia.
‘My snuff-box,’ she commanded; and Elizabeth immediately brought it.
Having taken a comforting pinch the Queen said: ‘I am most distressed. It is William again. What a fool your brother is! When I think of his behaviour from the time he was a young man, I cannot remember one occasion when he has acted with the slightest wisdom. He was constantly promising marriage to this one and that. Miss Fortescue, Miss Somebody else … I’ve forgotten the names; and then of course he settled down with that actress and produced all those children. And after that we had to watch his ridiculous efforts to get married. Now he has proposed and been accepted by a Miss Wykeham.’
‘She is a very considerable heiress, Mamma,’ said Elizabeth.