The Princess looked very attractive in her gown of crimson velvet with its rows of ermine, wearing a crown with one bar, set with diamonds. She was led in the procession to the chapel by her young brother-in-law-to-be, William, Duke of Cumberland, with the Duke of Grafton and Lord Hervey in attendance with the ladies of her household; and the Bishop of London performed the ceremony.

Afterwards at supper, the Prince of Wales sat on the King’s right hand with his brother William, and on the Queen’s left hand sat the Princess of Wales and her sisters-in-law, the four Princesses.

The Queen spoke very kindly to the bride and found her so modest that she could not help liking her, but, as she said afterwards to Lord Hervey, she feared she was a little stupid and that her mother was to be blamed for not giving her a better education. ‘Nevertheless,’ she added, ‘I daresay she will suit Fred the better for that.’

Then of course there followed that ceremony of undressing the bride which was done by the four Princesses, and she was put to bed to await the coming of the Prince who eventually appeared in a cloth of silver nightgown and nightcap of fine lace.

Ministers and courtiers walked through the bedchamber to see the young couple in bed; and in spite of her awkwardness and shyness in company, the Princess of Wales seemed not in the least disturbed, for already her husband seemed to have inspired her with confidence.

The King, in his wedding clothes of gold brocade, embroidered with large flowers in silver and pale colours, cut short the ceremony, and taking the Queen’s hand, gave the signal to retire and leave the young couple alone.

As they walked out the King commented on the costumes of Lord Hervey and the Duke of Grafton; he had noted the diamond buttons and was calculating that they must have cost somewhere in the region of three to five hundred pounds.

The Queen replied that it was fitting they should on such an occasion. ‘As long as,’ she added, ‘they do not outdo Your Majesty in their splendour, which it is clear they did not.’

In her own yellow silk trimmed with pearls and diamonds, with diamonds at her throat and on her hands, Caroline herself was a glittering figure and the King looked at her with approval. Her gown was low cut revealing that bosom which he had once called the most beautiful in the world.

But his satisfaction was short-lived.

‘No Englishman knows how to dress,’ he said. ‘I suppose it is because no English tailor knows how to make a suit.

‘You are comparing them with their Hanoverian counterparts,’ the Queen could not resist saying, and she added quickly to change the subject. ‘Perhaps now that he is married, Frederick will give us less trouble. She seems a pleasant creature, though dull, and I think she should suit him well.

‘They have dressed themselves up for this wedding as they never did for my birthday,’ grumbled the King.

But he was not seriously angry. He was thinking: The wedding is over. I shall be in Hanover for May as I promised.

The Duchess of Marlborough laughed at the marriage. ‘A Princess of where, pray? Saxe-Gotha? What is Saxe-Gotha? Young Fred will regret the day he didn’t get Lady Di.’

And she jeered at the preparations and said that she had heard the bride was a nice little thing but stupid.

‘He’ll have his regrets before long!’

But Frederick was not regretting. Nor was his bride. They were greeted by cheering crowds wherever they went. The people liked them. Just wait, thought Frederick, until we have a son. Then the people will be all for the Prince of Wales. They’re tired of bad-tempered George, anyway.

He would get his hundred thousand a year. He was going to ask for it as soon as it was possible to do so. He would get his privileges. When the King went off to his mistress he, the Prince of Wales, would be the Regent.

Everything was going to be different now. And it was all due to his dear little Augusta who adored him and wanted to do everything to please me.

When he said to her that he knew just the lady to fill the vacant post among her ladies in waiting, she listened eagerly.

‘It’s Lady Archibald Hamilton,’ he said. ‘I will present her to you.’

‘Please do,’ cried Augusta. ‘Is she young?’

‘You would not call her so.... She is twice your age.’

Augusta clapped her hands with pleasure. ‘I was afraid she might be young and beautiful,’ she said.

There were some things she had learned evidently, thought Frederick.

And when Lady Archibald Hamilton was presented to her, Augusta thought her, although a little stern, a very gracious lady.

‘Lady Archibald Hamilton hopes for a post in your household,’ said Frederick. ‘I hope you will agree with me that no one could be more suitable.’

And of course Augusta agreed with her husband.

The King’s Absence

IN the middle of May the King left England for Hanover. The Prince was sulking because once more he had been passed over and the Queen was made Regent.

In his own apartments he raged against his parents and the Princess Augusta listened, nodding her head, looking angry when he did, smiling when he did, agreeing with every word.

The King had not seen his son before his departure, but had sent a messenger to him with a letter which told him that wherever the Queen resided during his absence there would be apartments for the Prince and Princess of Wales.

‘Well,’ retorted the Prince, ‘the apartments may be there but we shan’t be in them.’

‘No, we shan’t,’ agreed the Princess.

‘I hate them ... both of them,’ declared the Prince.

And the Princess nodded as though he had said something even more clever than his usual utterances.

‘And I’ll show them.’

She nodded eagerly.

‘They’re going to be sorry for the way they’ve treated me.’

‘Very sorry.’

‘They can’t imagine I shall endure these humiliations for ever, or if they do they’re bigger fools than I take them for. We are not going to live under the same roof as the Queen Regent ... and we are going to do everything to annoy her. Do you know, Augusta, I think I hate my mother more than my father. He after all is just a fool. She’s the one who has made him what he is. She left me when I was only seven ... left me all alone in Hanover and it wasn’t till I was in my twenties that I saw her again. There’s a mother for you!’

It did not occur to Augusta to wonder in what circumstances the Queen had behaved as she had. Frederick said she had been cruelly neglectful, so in Augusta’s opinion she had.

‘But I’ll be revenged on them. You wait! I’ll ask for my hundred thousand. After all it’s my due. And when I’ve got that it will be only a beginning. You’ll see, Augusta, the sort of man you’ve married.’

Augusta laughed gleefully. She was sure she had married the most handsome, the bravest, and best man in the world.

It was no wonder that the Prince of Wales was pleased with his marriage.

Augusta was amused and impressed by the way in which her clever husband outwitted his mother.

She, the wicked Queen, had sent to them from Richmond saying that she intended staying there a while and, in accordance with the King’s order, she thought that the Prince and Princess should join her there.

Augusta listened wide-eyed to what her husband had to say.

‘We’re not going,’ he said. ‘We’ll write and tell her that you’re indisposed.’

Augusta thought this a clever idea; but the Queen it seemed was clever too for she wrote to her son and said that since his wife was indisposed she would call and visit her on her sick bed.