1816.
Day of Thanksgiving -- "Battle for the Standard" -- Return of
the troops -- Frozen game brought over by Esquimaux -- The
Regent's practical joke -- Rejection of the Prince of Orange by
the Princess Charlotte, and acceptance of Prince Leopold as her
husband -- Her marriage -- "The R----l Whiskers" -- The Regent's
yacht.
This new year began well. The 18th of January was chosen as a solemn
day of Thanksgiving to the Almighty for the blessings of Peace--a
form, which one would have thought, would, out of the commonest
sentiment of gratitude, have taken place six months previously, after
Waterloo, and the submission of Napoleon; but, of course, gratitude
to God must needs be subservient to diplomatic Red Tape; and HE had
to wait for the expression of the nation's thankfulness. This day
was also the Queen's birthday, and the guns were fired, and the
coloured lamps were lit at night, in token of the country's joy at
having so gracious a person so long spared to them, so "Serve God and
honour the Queen" was thoroughly, and properly, carried out at an
economical rate. There was also, out of pure generosity, something
thrown in. The French Colours, taken at Waterloo, two in number, were
deposited in the Chapel at Whitehall. Country newspapers please copy
the following: "The ceremony was conducted with perfect order; and,
associated, as it was, with the duties of religious worship; the
memory of the Contest in which the trophies were won, and the sight
of the brave veterans who had survived its carnage, the influence
it produced was not of an ordinary nature, but rather approached
to a sentiment of sublimity" (_Times_). Perhaps a portion of the
"sublimity" was owing to the fact that the Guards "were dressed in
new clothing, with Caps on a new principle, and, as we are informed,
far superior in comfort to the wearers."
This Military tailoring is a craze which seizes great minds at times.
It has needed the colossal brains of the Duke of York, the Prince
Regent (who, when he took to yachting, the Service prayed to be
delivered from, in case he should alter their already too expensive
uniform), of Albert the Good, whose hat is enshrined in the pages
of _Punch_, and the Duke of Cambridge, whose attention to buttons,
and facings, has won him world-wide renown--and everybody is so much
better, and more efficient, from the outcome of their laborious
study.
One of these Eagles was won after a stubborn fight, which would
have entitled its Captor to the Victoria Cross, now-a-days. It was
the metaphorical captive of the spear and bow of Sergeant Ewart,
whose exploit, on his being gazetted Ensign in the 3rd Royal Veteran
battalion, is thus contemporaneously chronicled. It was on the
18th of June, and on "the afternoon of that eventful day, the 92nd
Regiment, reduced to two hundred, charged a column of the Enemy, from
two thousand to three thousand strong; they broke into the centre of
the column, and the moment they pierced it, the Scotch Greys dashed
in to their support, when both these gallant Corps cheered, and
huzzaed 'Scotland for ever!' The Enemy, to a man, were put to the
sword, or made prisoners. The Greys, afterwards, charged the second
line, which amounted to five thousand men; it was in the first that
Sergeant Ewart captured the French eagle; the affair is thus modestly
detailed by himself: 'I had a hard contest for it; the officer who
carried it thrust for my groin; I parried it off, and cut him through
the head; after which I was attacked by one of the lancers, who threw
his lance at me, but missed the mark, by my throwing it off with my
sword by my right side, then I cut him from the chin upwards, and
went through his teeth. Next, I was attacked by a foot soldier, who,
after firing, charged me with his bayonet, but I parried it off,
and cut him through the head--so that finished the contest for the
eagle.'" An incident which is well commemorated by Ansdell, in his
picture (1848), the "Battle for the Standard."
The Medals for Waterloo and bars for the Campaign were now being
distributed, but it took about forty years to thoroughly give them to
their rightful owners;[17] their distribution being about as slow as
is naval prize money, or the Banda and Kirwee booty.
[Footnote 17: It took longer, _vide_ this extract from _The
Globe_, March 18, 1889:--"A TARDY HONOUR.--Captain Gammell
is 92. It is only within the last ten days that he has
received an honour which he won nearly three-quarters of a
century ago. As Ensign James Gammell he was present at the
sortie of Bayonne, and leaving the army shortly afterwards
never applied for the medal. At last Captain Gammell has
found himself decorated with two--one the Jubilee medal,
accompanied by a letter from Sir Henry Ponsonby on behalf
of the Queen; the other the Peninsular medal, with the
clasp for the Nive, forwarded by the Duke of Cambridge.
It is never too late to decorate a gallant man, and
Colonel Balguy, who has been active in this matter, is to
be congratulated upon the success which his efforts have
attained."]
The troops were not too quick in coming back from Paris, which they
had occupied, and the Foot Guards only returned late in the year
of 1815. In fact, in January of this year, they took up their old
quarters at Windsor, in presence of the Queen, princesses, and the
most puissant Duke of York. They wore laurels in their Caps on this
occasion. I do not think they have worn them since.
Judging from our standpoint, one can hardly realize the first
importation of frozen meat; and it was duly chronicled as a
curiosity: "To such a pitch is mercantile speculation for the
luxurious now arrived, that we understand three poor Laplanders have
come over in the last packet from Gottenburg, and are on their way
to London with five sledges, laden with Lapland Game, consisting
of Tjadear (Cock of the Wood), Cappercally Orrar (black cock), Suö
Ripor (Ptarmigan), Hjarpar (hazel hen), except the black cock all
species of the grouse, but now extinct in this country. Those birds
are considered the greatest delicacies of the North, and are, we are
told, in the highest state of preservation."
This was written at the end of January, and, at the beginning of
February, we find that our unfortunate Northern guests had landed
on a somewhat inhospitable shore, for they had to pay over £50 duty
for imported game, and £10 freight from Harwich to London. But this
frozen game was quite novel, and it deserves a contemporary account
of what they thought of it at the time. "The state of preservation in
which these birds are, is really surprising, after travelling upwards
of one thousand miles. They are preserved by being hung up to freeze
as soon as killed, and, afterwards, being packed in cases, lined
with skin to keep out the air. This process so effectually preserves
them, that when the packages are opened, the birds are frozen quite
hard; and those packages which are not opened, will continue in this
state for some weeks. The mode in which the small birds are dressed
in Sweden, is by stewing them in cream, with a little butter in
it, after being larded, which, it is said, gives them an exquisite
flavour: the large ones are roasted and basted with cream, which
is, afterwards, served up with sauce. These Laplanders wear a kind
of great coat, made of reindeer skin, with caps and gloves of the
same, which gives them a very grotesque appearance: they are very
shy of appearing in the streets in this attire, on account of their
attracting so many people round them."
This absurdity of charging an import duty on game was enforced, not
only in the case of these poor Laplanders, but, at other times: for
instance, under date of 24th of February we read: "A greengrocer of
Brighton imported twenty partridges and two hares from France, and
paid the importation duty on them; he was, notwithstanding, convicted
of exposing the said game for sale by the Magistrates at Uckfield,
and fined £110, which, being unable to pay, he was committed for
three months to Lewes House of Correction."
The Esquimaux stopped all the summer and autumn in England, and were
a popular exhibition. They travelled all over the country, and we
hear of one of them in the _Caledonian Mercury_, September same year:
"His canoe is esteemed a very great curiosity, weighing only 16lbs.,
he rows it by one oar or paddle, and is so very dexterous in managing
it, that he far outsails any boat with six oars. He is very expert
in diving, and also in throwing his darts; he is so fastened to his
seat, that he cannot fall out--as a drawer, like the mouth of a
purse, girds him about the loins, so that, in an instant, he may be
seen to dive under the water, head down, and keel uppermost; again,
in the twinkling of an eye, he raises himself erect out of the water,
and scuds along as if nothing had happened."
On February 8th the _Alceste_, sailed from Portsmouth for China,
having on board Lord Amherst, appointed Ambassador to that Country,
and a numerous suite, the ships also conveying numerous presents for
the Emperor. Of this expedition we shall hear more in next year's
Chronicle.
The Regent was always being satirized by the publication of some of
his own puerilities, or those of his suite, who, of course, took
their tone from him. The _Brighton Herald_ is answerable for the
following: "A gallant Admiral, residing at the Pavilion, was, a few
days since, presented by a certain Great Personage, with a beautiful
milk-white mare, which it was stated, had just arrived from Hanover.
Nothing was talked of but this fine creature; and every one seemed
anxious to have her merits put to the test. The Admiral mounted,
tried her in all her paces, and though he could but approve, yet he
pronounced her to be greatly inferior to a favourite black mare of
his own. The present, however, coming from so high a quarter, was,
of course, received with every expression of duty and thankfulness.
The long switching tail of the animal, not exactly suiting the
Admiral's taste, he sent her to a farrier to have it cropped,--when,
lo! he speedily received intelligence that it was a _false_ tail,
and that, beneath it, appeared a short black, one. This curious
fact led to a minuter inspection, when it was at length discovered
that this _beautiful white Hanoverian horse_ was no other than the
good-humoured Admiral's own _black mare_, which had been painted in a
manner to elude his detection." Thus it was that "_le Roi s'amuse_."
But the Regent was fit for better things. On the very same date that
the above was recorded, we find that he ordered, at his own expense,
a splendid monument to be erected at Rome, in memory of Cardinal
York, the last legitimate descendant of the Stuarts.
Another serious event was preparing for him, the marriage of his
daughter. We have seen that she would have none of the Prince of
Orange--it is not quite certain whether, at this time, she was
dotingly fond of him who was to be her partner in life for the brief
portion of time allotted her. At all events, he came over here, in
February, as the suitor for her hand--arriving on the 21st, and
dutifully waited upon "papa" on the 23rd. That his suit would be a
prosperous one, there could hardly be a doubt, for he was received by
the Duke of Clarence, Sir R. Bloomfield (the Regent's Chamberlain),
Count Hardenberg, and the Nobility then residing at the Pavilion.
"Happy's the wooing, that's not long a-doing," says the old rhyme,
and this was speedily brought to a conclusion. The Prince paid
his devoirs to his future bride, and her "stern parent," and then
gracefully retired from the scene. In those days of no Telegraphs,
the news of people's happiness, or misfortunes, was longer in
reaching them than now, for a King's Messenger had to go to Paris,
only to find Prince Leopold gone to Berlin, and to follow him there,
in order to tell him that the English Princess Royal had been
graciously pleased to accept him for her husband. On the Messenger's
return, the consent of the Prince Regent was officially given, and
the Lord Chancellor affixed the great Seal to the Marriage Contract.
On Thursday, the 14th of March, Lord Castlereagh appeared at the bar
of the House of Commons with the following message from the Prince
Regent:
"The Prince Regent, acting in the name, and on the behalf of his
Majesty, having given the royal consent to a marriage between
his daughter, her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte Augusta,
and his Serene Highness Leopold George Frederick, Prince of
Cobourg of Saalfield, has thought fit to communicate the same to
this House.
"His Royal Highness is fully persuaded that this alliance cannot
but be acceptable to all his Majesty's faithful subjects;
and the many proofs which his Highness has received of the
affectionate attachment of this House to his Majesty's person
and family, leave him no room to doubt of the concurrence
and assistance of this House, in enabling him to make such a
provision, with a view to the said marriage, as may be suitable
to the honour and dignity of the Country.
G. P. R."
The reply to this piece of blarney was a dutiful, or, more properly
speaking, "an humble," address, to the Regent "to return to his Royal
Highness the thanks of this House for his most gracious communication
of the intended marriage between," &c., &c., "and to express our
entire satisfaction at the prospect of an alliance with a Protestant
prince of so illustrious a family," &c. &c.--and, as a matter of
course, next day the House of Commons did what was expected of them,
and voted a grant of £60,000 a year for the young couple, with the
addition of a year's income for outfits--£40,000 for furniture,
plate, &c.; £10,000 for articles of dress for the princess; and
£10,000 to increase her Highness's jewels.
A Bill for his naturalization was brought into the House of Lords
on the 26th of March, and was speedily made law. For some reason or
other, perhaps because she was the daughter of her mother, the Prince
Regent did not like his daughter, and, at this time, his dislike was
publicly spoken of. Among other things, she was not allowed to use
the Royal livery (scarlet), a petty piece of spite, and the public
feeling at this time is very well reflected by the following extract
from the _Morning Chronicle_ of the 13th of April:
"When the Prince of Coburg came up from Brighton to the Stud-house
in Hampton Park, on Saturday last, he visited both Clermont and
Bottleys. The first cannot be let, but may be sold; the second cannot
be sold, but may be let. Clermont is a noble house, with a park of
about 350 acres, well wooded. The value, including the timber, may be
about £50,000. It is seventeen miles from town, and about the same
distance from Windsor. But, again, we ask, why purchase such a place
when there are so many palaces unoccupied?
"One reason, rather improbable indeed, is given in answer to this
question; viz., that the Prince Regent may yet have a son; and that,
to set up the Princess Charlotte in royal state as _heir apparent_ to
the throne, when, by such an event she might be disappointed of that
elevation, would be highly improper. And this reason is given for
all the proposed regulations--the revolting title of _Kendal_--the
green livery--the private houses--the restriction of drawing
rooms, &c., &c., &c. Is there lurking under this specious pretext
of future probabilities any design of a measure[18] (which recent
circumstances, we are told, have made practicable) by which they
might be realized? But, granting even the event to happen, that,
by a second marriage, the Prince Regent should have a son, surely
it would then be the proper season to make the arrangements for the
Princess Charlotte which are now establishing, and the Prince, her
august Consort, might safely rely on the generosity and justice of
the Nation for an adequate provision, in any change of circumstances
that might affect his fortune, in the proposed union. The subject is
too delicate to enlarge upon in a journal, but it is freely discussed
in the upper circles, as if it were a matter actually contemplated at
Court."
[Footnote 18: The Regent was then meditating taking
proceedings for a divorce from his wife.]
The Royal Marriage Act, which was rendered necessary by the social
escapades of the sons of George III. left and still leaves a limited
choice of husbands to the female scions of Royalty, and, as they must
be Protestants, they are confined mainly to the petty princelets
of Germany. Time does not change John Bull's feelings with regard
to such marriages, and the satirist from that time to our own, has
always ridiculed the comparative poverty of the husbands of our royal
womanhood. It was so with Prince Albert, with the Duke of Teck, and
the other German princes who have married into our Royal family. John
Bull, doubtless from his insular prejudices, does not consider these
marriages as equal, and, although he spends the money, he has the
grumble thereon to which he considers himself to be entitled.
[Illustration: "A Single Life on the Continent, Starving on Sour
Krout!!"]
Hence the satirical print given herewith called "THE CONTRAST! or
the _Ci-devant_ GERMAN CAPTAIN in good Quarters!" May, 1816. One
sketch is entitled, "A single life on the Continent, starving on Sour
Krout!!" On the ground is a paper "Thoughts on a journey to _Wales_
to seek my fortune, and better my condition." A mouse is nibbling at
a "Map of the Principality of Coburg eight hundred square feet." The
other is "Comes to England, is made a General,[19] and marries a lady
of £60,000 per annum." On the wall is a picture of Camelford House,
where the young couple spent their honeymoon; and, as a change from
his former meagre fare, is shown a huge piece of roast beef, and
Hock, Champagne, and Burgundy in abundance.
[Footnote 19: In May, 1816, he was made a General in the
British army, and afterwards Field Marshal.]
[Illustration: "Comes to England, is Made a General," &c.]
Tradesmen were as eager then, as now, to catch hold of anything
new--and consequently we find the Kendal scarf being sold, and the
Coburg hat and Kendal bonnet, which seem to have been ordinary straw
work, but "for superior quality, and pearl-like colour, must, on
inspection, have certain claim to universal patronage."
On the 2nd of the "merry month of May" they were married. The
bridegroom's costume seems to have been somewhat scanty, but yet
he appears to have been rather proud of it, for "Prince Leopold
very frequently appeared at the balcony to gratify their curiosity,
dressed in a blue coat and a star." "At two o'clock his Serene
Highness went in a curricle to Carlton House, and paid a morning
visit to his intended bride. He also rode round the exterior of
Carlton House to view his new travelling carriage. His Serene
Highness afterwards returned to Clarence House a little before
half-past three, when the crowd was so numerous, and the anxiety
to see him so great, that the footmen, in letting him out of the
carriage had nearly been pushed under it. A number of women and
children were forced into Clarence House against their will, by the
extreme pressure. In a few minutes after, his Serene Highness walked
across to York House, when the crowd behaved extremely orderly, and,
at the request of a few attendants, formed a clear passage for them
to pass through.... The Princess Charlotte of Wales, at four o'clock,
went in a carriage to the Queen's Palace, and had the windows down
to gratify the curiosity of the crowd in Pall Mall, but they were
found to be so extremely numerous, that the coachman could not, with
safety, drive through them, and went through the Park. On his coming
out to get into his carriage he was assailed by a number of females
patting him on the back, and giving him good wishes. This delay
gave a number of men an opportunity to take off the traces of the
horses, in order to draw the carriage. They were prevailed upon to
desist, but they did so (_sic_) a second time, and the Prince, it is
supposed, would have indulged them in their desire, had not accidents
been feared, and by exertions of the sentinels the traces were put
to the carriage again, and the carriage proceeded to Carlton House
amidst the loud huzzas of the populace."
After all this mobbing they got properly married, and set off for
Oatland's--the Duke of York's mansion.
The bride was dressed in white llama and silver, and, perhaps,
some of my lady readers will be pleased to hear that her frock was
"finished with a very brilliant rollio of lama," which must have
been very comforting to her. The Queen of Sheba would (to use an
Americanism) have to have taken a "back seat" compared to the dear
old Queen Charlotte, who must have been "exceeding magnifical." She
wore "a beautiful gold tissue, trimmed with a mixture of gold and
silver, having two flounces of brilliant silver net-work, richly
embossed with stripes of gold lamé, and a superb head to the flounces
of silver lamé border. The whole had a most grand, novel, and
magnificent appearance."
[Illustration: R----l Whiskers, 1816.]
The satirical prints may, generally, be taken as a reflex of popular
opinion, be it right or wrong, and the Princess was soon credited
with having the upper hand in the domestic arrangements of her new
household. She is depicted as wearing her husband's breeches, and
taking the reins when driving--but this was meant for good-humoured
badinage--not like the satires on the Regent, who was lampooned
without mercy. His clothes, his personal appearance, even his
whiskers were not allowed to pass unscathed--as the following will
show:
"1816.
R----L WHISKERS.
L'ADIEU.
_From a puissant Prince, to his cast-off whiskers, on leaving London
to make an Excursion._
Adieu, my dear Whiskers! dear Whiskers, adieu!
I ne'er shall love Whiskers, as I have lov'd you.
So becoming your form, and so brilliant your hue,
I ne'er admir'd Whiskers, as I've admir'd you.
Your curve was so lovely, so like a horse shoe,
Not a whisker at Court was so lovely as you.
The Baron Geramb's[20] were immense it is true,
But they didn't sweep round half so tasty as you,
Y---- ----'s[21] Whiskers comprise hair enough for a head,
But odious the shape, and the colour is red.
Of beauty, 'tis known, that the line is a curve,
Then the prize of all beauty you surely deserve;
For in curve so enchanting you lay on my chin,
You completely eclipsed all the _blubber_ within.
Not Ganymede's self, when he waited on Jove,
Looked the model so like of the young God of Love;
Not Apollo the bright, nor Adonis the fair,
Were like, my dear whiskers--adorn'd _to a hair_!
Not drooping Narcissus, reclin'd o'er the stream,
Himself the dear object, himself the dear theme,
Was more charm'd with _his_ face, thus presented to view,
Than I've been with _mine_, when encircl'd with you.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."
[Footnote 20: This gentleman will be noticed in matters
theatrical.]
[Footnote 21: Lord Yarmouth.]
A life of indolence, and sensual gratification, brought with it
its concomitant punishment, and he suffered much from gout. There
is a peep at his inner life from a Newspaper paragraph of the 26th
of March, dated Brighton: "It is true that the Prince has been on
horseback, and has rode for some time about the Pavilion lawn. An
inclined plane was constructed, rising to about the height of two
feet and a half, at the upper end of which was a platform. His
Royal Highness was placed in a chair on rollers, and so moved up
the ascent, and placed on the platform, which was then raised by
screws, high enough to pass the horse under; and, finally, his Royal
Highness was let gently down into the saddle. By these means the
Regent was, undoubtedly, enabled to enjoy in some degree the benefit
of air and exercise; but the exercise implied little of spontaneous
muscular power, and cannot, certainly, be considered as a criterion
of renovated strength."
A short trip to sea was suggested as likely to be of benefit to his
health, and a Royal Yacht of some three hundred or four hundred tons
burden was hauled up and put on the slips at Deptford Dockyard to be
entirely new coppered and re-fitted throughout. The estimated cost of
doing this was over sixty thousand pounds! of which the _gilding_
alone is supposed to have absorbed nearly thirteen thousand five
hundred pounds!! Why! the very blocks to the shrouds and rigging
were fully gilt, and the whole of the internal fittings were of the
most gorgeous description. The _Royal Sovereign_ was re-launched at
Deptford on the 8th of August, 1816, and, when the workmen had done
with her, she was ordered round to Brighton, to be at the Regent's
disposal.