REFUGE AT CELLE.
1772-1774.
The English squadron arrived at Stade, a seaport town on the mouth
of the Elbe, then in the electorate of Hanover, on June 5. Matilda
was received with all the honour due to her rank as Queen of Denmark
and Princess of Great Britain. Two highly placed Hanoverian officials
rowed out to the flagship, and formally welcomed her to her brother's
dominions. The Queen landed shortly afterwards from a royal barge.
Here the Hanoverian ladies and gentlemen who were to form her new
household awaited her, and here her small Danish suite took their
leave, preparatory to returning to Copenhagen by land. The Queen gave
Count Holstein a diamond solitaire and similar souvenirs to the others.
She also recommended Captain Macbride and the other officers for
promotion through the envoy.[73] A large crowd had assembled to witness
the Queen disembark, by whom she was greeted with great enthusiasm.
There was a very general idea that she had been hardly used, and her
brother's Hanoverians were enthusiastic in her defence. The Queen was
treated with honour: she was lodged in the principal house at Stade,
and attended by her suite, which was composed of the Dowager Baroness
d'Ompteda, chief lady of her court, two other ladies-in-waiting, two
chamberlains, three pages and a number of servants. Sir Robert Keith
acted as minister in attendance.
[73] Lord Sandwich's despatch, June 28, 1772.
The Queen remained at Stade two days, and then travelled by way of
Harburg to Göhrde, a distance of thirty miles, where she was to remain
until the castle of Celle was ready for her reception. Göhrde had
formerly been a hunting-box of the Dukes of Celle. It was a long, low,
unpretending house of brick and timber, and the accommodation was so
limited that most of the suite had to be lodged in cottages hard by.
Göhrde was situated in the midst of a forest, far removed from any
town, and the Queen was more separated from the outer world there than
she had been at Kronborg.[74] At Göhrde Sir Robert Keith took leave of
the Queen, who parted from him with many expressions of gratitude and
good-will. He went, in accordance with his instructions, to England, to
give the King a full and particular account of the late revolution in
Denmark, and to say all that he could in the Queen's favour.
[74] The house at Göhrde is still standing, and is sometimes used
as a hunting-box by the German Emperor, who as King of Prussia has
appropriated it, together with all the other palaces of the King of
Hanover--except Herrenhausen--which remains the private property of the
Duke of Cumberland.
Matilda remained at Göhrde throughout the summer, and the quiet did
much to refresh her weary mind after the exciting scenes she had
gone through. In her loneliness the Queen turned to the consolations
of religion; the pastor of Lüneburg often visited her, and once a
week conducted divine service for her and the household. In August
Matilda received a visit from her sister Augusta, Hereditary Princess
of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who came with her husband, and stayed four
days. Matilda was overjoyed to see her sister again. They had not met
since the days of their youth in England, but they had corresponded
regularly. Through good report and evil the Princess of Brunswick had
stood by her young sister, and she now determined to see as much as
possible of her in the future, which would be comparatively easy, as
Brunswick was only a few hours' journey from Celle. She had nothing
but sympathy for Matilda, and indignation at her wrongs. Together, no
doubt, they went over the whole miserable story of the unhappy marriage
in Denmark; here, too, they probably recalled the memories of their
childhood in England. The Princess of Brunswick, who had lately come
from London, also gave her sister much information concerning George
III. and Queen Charlotte, which enabled her to understand better
the state of affairs at the English court. The Prince of Brunswick,
gallant soldier that he was, also championed the cause of his young
sister-in-law, and his visit to her at this time was a proof to all
the world that he believed her to be an injured woman. His visit was
the more significant from the fact that he was a nephew of Matilda's
greatest enemy, Juliana Maria, who was by birth a princess of
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. The Princess of Brunswick and her husband did
not always get on very happily together, for the Princess resented her
husband's many amours. Their visit to Göhrde, therefore, was regarded
not only as evidence of their friendship for the unfortunate Queen, but
as proof that harmony was restored between them.
Though the preparations at Celle were pushed forward with all speed,
it was late in October before everything was ready in the castle for
the Queen's reception. The honest townsfolk of Celle were prepared to
give their King's sister the heartiest of welcomes. There had been
no court at the castle for nearly seventy years, and they were proud
that its ancient glories were to be in part revived; moreover, they
sympathised with the sorrows of the young Queen, were indignant at her
wrongs, and firmly believed her to be the innocent victim of a court
plot. When, therefore, after four months' residence at Göhrde, Matilda
fixed October 20 for her entry to Celle, the magistrates and burgesses
determined to give her a right royal reception. A public holiday was
proclaimed; the streets of the quaint little town, which contain some
fine specimens of north German architecture, were gaily decorated, and
odes of welcome, both in prose and verse, were prepared. Prince Ernest
of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen Charlotte's brother, and commandant of
the garrison, heartily supported the efforts of the townspeople, and
for weeks nothing was talked of but the entry of Queen Matilda.[75]
[75] The following particulars of the Queen's entry are taken from
contemporary newspapers and the town registers of Celle.
The day of October 20 dawned beautifully fine. The town was bright with
the sunshine of late autumn; the royal standard floated proudly on
the castle tower, and soldiers paraded the streets. There was such an
influx of visitors to Celle from the surrounding villages that every
house was filled to overflowing, and there was no more accommodation to
be had at the inns. At an early hour the townsfolk assembled under arms
at the headquarters of the local militia. Each citizen wore red and
white ribbons in his hat, and a rosette of the same in his buttonhole.
A procession was formed, and headed by the chief officials, the "Four
Men," the townsfolk, with banners flying and music playing, marched
to the market-place. Here, after refreshing themselves and generally
making merry, they proceeded to line the route to the castle. At the
west gate of the town twenty-eight of the most notable burgesses, "clad
in blue velveteen and mounted on horses magnificently caparisoned,"
awaited the arrival of the Queen, and then, since her coming was
delayed, they marched out about a quarter of a mile from the town to
meet her. After they had waited a long time, a courier dashed up and
informed them that her Majesty was approaching. A few minutes later the
Queen's coach came in sight, followed by the other coaches containing
her suite. One of the chief merchants, deputed by the rest, then rode
towards the royal carriage, and when the Queen commanded a halt, he
offered her on bended knee the following greeting:--
To us returns the sun of golden days.
"God save the Queen!" shall be our song.
Thou comest laden with a blessing
For which our hearts have hungered long.
--and so on for many verses. The Queen received the address most
graciously. Then the escort of burgesses formed up, and the procession
moved towards the western gate. The Queen's coach was drawn by six
horses from the royal stables at Celle, ridden by postilions in
liveries of scarlet and gold. An escort of cavalry formed the rear of
the procession. At the west gate the Queen again halted, and Würning,
the senior of the "Four Men," read to the Queen an ode written on white
satin, beginning:--
Through us, O Queen, Celle utters her rejoicing,
By us doth seek her joy to celebrate,
That thou, O Majesty, hast come among us,
And hast not scorned our lowly gate.
The Queen again signified her liveliest satisfaction, and when the
reading of the ode was over, she passed through the gates, and a
flourish of trumpets announced her Majesty's entry into the town.
From this point the procession could only make its way slowly, for
although the route was lined with burgesses, and the Queen's coach
was escorted by cavalry, the people pressed through and surrounded
the carriage, all anxious to get a view of the Queen. "Nor would she
have any turned away, but bowed and smiled from side to side without
intermission, and showed in the most unmistakable manner her lively
satisfaction and pleasure." Indeed, the Queen is said to have exclaimed
with joyful gratitude: "Thank God! my brother's subjects do not believe
me guilty." Slowly Matilda made her way past the town hall, where the
members of the corporation were drawn up and the commandant of the town
had stationed his regiment, towards the castle. She passed over the
drawbridge, and a second later entered her new home. She was received
at the main entrance by Prince Ernest of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who
conducted her up the grand staircase to her apartments.
The Queen rested a while, and took some refreshment; but after supper,
seeing that the town was illuminated in her honour, she announced her
intention of going out to view the illuminations, and accompanied by
her suite, she made a tour of the streets on foot, commenting with
unaffected delight at the devices on the houses. It was ten o'clock
before the Queen returned to the castle, tired out with the pleasant
excitements of the day. She declared that it did her heart good to
come among so kind and devoted a people, who had striven to outvie
one another in rendering her honour. Of a truth, after the harshness
and averted looks she had encountered everywhere in Denmark the last
two years, the warm-hearted greeting must have come as a balm to the
youthful Queen. From that hour she took the townsfolk of Celle to her
heart, and they took her to theirs. Even to this day the traditions of
her goodness and amiability linger in the little town.
George III. handsomely supplemented his sister's allowance from
Denmark, and though her means did not allow of magnificence or display,
she had amply sufficient for her needs, in the quiet and secluded life
which her brother wished her to lead. Matilda was royally lodged in the
castle of Celle, and had no reason to complain of her quarters. The
castle was at that time strongly fortified and surrounded by a moat,
which perhaps gave rise to the absurd report, circulated in England,
that she was a prisoner in a few small rooms of a gloomy fortress.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
[Illustration: THE CASTLE OF CELLE: THE APARTMENTS OF QUEEN MATILDA
WERE IN THE TOWER.]
* * * * *
I was last at Celle in 1902, and visited the castle especially to see
the apartments occupied by the Queen of Denmark. The following notes
written at the time may be of interest:--
The castle of Celle is a huge building, partly in late Gothic and
partly in the Renaissance style. It is built round a quadrangle, and
the apartments used by Queen Matilda occupy the whole of the south
side. The largest room is a long gallery, where her household and
guests were wont to assemble. This gallery is a long, low, handsome
room, hung with pictures on one wall, and pierced by many windows on
another. At one end of the gallery is the dining-room, at the other the
Queen's favourite sitting-room or boudoir. This is an octagon-shaped
room in the south-west tower of the castle, and lighted by four large
windows overlooking the beautiful schloss garden, and giving a glimpse
through the trees of the silvery Aller. The walls of this room are
lined with a sort of canvas, on which are painted bright birds of
paradise and flowers. The castellan declared that the wall-covering
and hangings were unchanged since the Queen's day, and were put up by
order of George III. for his sister. Before 1866 Matilda's apartments
were used by the Queen of Hanover; they are now occupied by the Regent
of Brunswick on his rare visits to Celle. The octagon room leads to
the Queen's bedroom, a large apartment with walls lined with the same
material, on which are painted bright flowers. The windows look over
some noble beech-trees. From this a few wooden steps lead down to the
garde-robe (dressing-room), and following the winding staircase down,
we are confronted by a stout door. Opening this, we emerge directly on
the western, or royal, gallery of the beautiful little chapel. In this
gallery is the closed pew wherein Matilda used to sit during divine
service--a pew not unlike an opera-box, cushioned and carpeted, and
with diamond-paned glass windows. At the back is a fresco representing
the denial of Christ by Peter. The pew directly faced the altar, and
from it Matilda must often have gazed at the beautiful triptych painted
by Martin Vos of Antwerp. The centre panel represents the Crucifixion,
and George William, the last Duke of Celle, and his wife, Eléonore
d'Olbreuse (not very saintly personages by the way), are painted in the
wings of the triptych, kneeling on either side of the central panel in
attitudes of adoration. Sometimes, to hear the preacher better, Matilda
moved round to the south gallery, immediately facing the pulpit, where
she also occupied a lattice-windowed pew. Here, on one of the panes,
local tradition has it that she wrote with a diamond the following
words in German: "The fear of God is over all things, and will guide me
both in the present and in the future." The writing may still be seen,
scratched on the pane, but, unfortunately for the legend, it bears no
resemblance to the well-known writing of the Queen, though it is always
shown as hers.[76]
[76] This chapel (and indeed the whole castle) is full of memories
of the great house of Guelph. It is a gem of its kind, exquisitely
proportioned and richly decorated, and was restored by the late King of
Hanover, George V., "the Blind King," shortly before he was robbed of
his kingdom by Prussia. A fresco, representing the King kneeling, in
the armour of a Christian warrior, his hands clasped in prayer, and his
beautiful face turned towards the altar, occupies the north wall of the
chancel.
* * * * *
A few days after Queen Matilda arrived at Celle she received a visit
from Keith, who had spent the summer in England. After reaching London
and reporting himself at the foreign office, Keith was commanded to the
palace, where the Sovereign gave him audience. He was about to kneel
when George III. took him by both his hands, and said: "No, no, Keith;
it is not thus we receive our friends," and then expressed to him in
the warmest terms his satisfaction at the way in which he had exerted
himself on Queen Matilda's behalf. He soon received well-deserved
promotion from the King, who appointed him ambassador at Vienna, a post
formerly filled by his father. Keith was now on his way to take up his
duties at Vienna. In conformance with instructions, he travelled round
by way of Celle to see the Queen in her new home, and report concerning
her to the King.
Before Keith left England Lord Suffolk wrote him a private letter in
which he said: "_You cannot be too minute and ample on all points of
your mission to Zell_. A thousand little circumstances which would of
course be passed over on other occasions will be interesting upon this,
and I think I may venture to assure you that the more conformable your
accounts are to this hint the better they will please."[77]
[77] Letter of Lord Suffolk to Sir R. M. Keith, October 11,
1772.--_Memoirs and Correspondence of Sir R. Murray Keith_, vol. i. The
italics are Suffolk's.
This goes to show that George III., who had been reproached with
indifference to his sister, now took a particular interest in her
welfare, and was anxious to do everything to make her situation as
comfortable and happy as circumstances admitted. This is further borne
out in the letter which Keith wrote to Lord Suffolk, which gives so
authentic and particular account of the Queen at Celle that it is worth
quoting in full:--
"CELLE, _November 2, 1772_.
"MY LORD,
"I arrived here on October 31, late in the evening, and next day had
the honour of delivering the King's letter to her Danish Majesty,
whom I found in perfect health, and without any remains of pain from
her late accident. In two very long audiences, which her Majesty
was pleased to grant me, I endeavoured to execute with the utmost
punctuality his Majesty's command, and shall now lay before your
Lordship all the lights those audiences afforded me, relative to
the Queen's wishes and intentions. I cannot enter upon that subject
without previously assuring your Lordship that the Queen received
those repeated proofs of his Majesty's _fraternal affection and
friendship_, which my order contained, with the warmest expressions
of gratitude and sensibility, and that nothing could be more frank
and explicit than her answers to a great number of questions, which
she permitted me to ask upon any subject that arose.
"In regard to Denmark, the Queen declares that, in the present
situation of that court, she has not a wish for any correspondence or
connection there, beyond what immediately concerns the welfare and
education of her children. That she never has written a single letter
to Denmark since she left it, or received one from thence. That the
only person belonging to that kingdom from whom she hears lives in
Holstein, and is not connected with the court.[78]
[78] A letter of Queen Matilda's which she wrote from Celle to a
member of the Struensee family in Holstein has recently come to light.
Unfortunately, I cannot quote it, but it is only of interest as showing
that she maintained friendly relations with the family of Struensee
after his death.
"The Queen having expressed great anxiety with respect to the false
impressions which may be instilled into the minds of her children,
particularly regarding herself, I thought it my duty to say that such
impressions, however cruelly intended, could not, at the tender age
of her Majesty's children, nor for some years to come, take so deep
a root as not to be entirely effaced by more candid instructors, and
the dictates of filial duty, when reason and reflection shall break
in upon their minds. The Queen seemed willing to lay hold of that
hope, yet could not help bursting into tears when she mentioned the
danger of losing the affections of her children.
"Her Majesty appears very desirous to communicate directly to her
royal brother all her views and wishes in the most confidential
manner; hoping to obtain in return his Majesty's advice and
directions, which she intends implicitly to follow. She said that in
matters of so private and domestic a nature, it would give her much
greater pleasure to learn his Majesty's intentions upon every point
_from his own pen_, than through the channel of any of his electoral
servants.
"It gave me great satisfaction to find her Majesty in very good
spirits, and so much pleased with the palace at Zell, the apartments
of which are very spacious and handsomely furnished. She _wishes
to have an apartment fitted up in the palace for her sister, the
Princess of Brunswick_, as she thinks that the etiquette of this
country does not permit that Princess, in her visits to Zell, to be
lodged _out of the palace_, without great impropriety. Her Majesty
said that she intended to write herself to the King on this head.
"The Queen told me that the very enterprising and dangerous part
which Queen Juliana has acted in Denmark had created greater
astonishment in Brunswick (where the abilities and character of that
Princess are known) than, perhaps, in any other city of Europe.
"Her Majesty talked to me of several late incidents at the court of
Denmark, but without appearing to take much concern in them. She
mentioned, with a smile, some of the paltry things which had been
sent as a part of her baggage from Denmark, adding, that this new
instance of their meanness had not surprised her. But the Princess of
Brunswick, who happened to be present when the baggage was opened,
expressed her indignation at that treatment in such strong terms,
that she (the Queen) could not help taking notice of it in her
letters to the King.
"She made me understand that a small collection of English books
would be very agreeable to her; leaving the choice of them entirely
to the King.
"Her Majesty more than once expressed how much she considered herself
obliged to the King's ministers for the zeal they had shown in the
whole of the late unhappy transactions relating to Denmark and
to herself. She is particularly sensible of the great share your
Lordship had in all those affairs; and has commanded me to convey to
your Lordship her acknowledgments for that constant attention to her
honour and interests, which she is persuaded the King will look upon
as an additional mark of your Lordship's dutiful attachment to his
royal person and family.
"It only remains that I should beg your forgiveness for the great
length to which I have swelled this letter. The only excuse I can
offer arises from my ardent desire to execute the King's orders with
the utmost possible precision.
"I am, etc., etc.,
"R. M. KEITH."[79]
[79] _Memoirs and Correspondence of Sir R. Murray Keith_, vol. i.
Keith remained at Celle only a few days. Then he took leave of the
Queen whose cause he had championed so doughtily, and proceeded to
Vienna. He never saw her again.[80]
[80] Keith remained at Vienna for many years, and retired from the
diplomatic service in 1789. He became a Privy Councillor and Member of
Parliament. He died at Hammersmith in 1795, aged sixty-four.
George III. tried in every way to shield his sister's reputation, and
to prevent any details of the scandal reaching England. "The King of
England," wrote Suffolk some months after the Queen's arrival at Celle,
"has repeatedly received assurances that no part of those proceedings
which affected the Queen of Denmark should ever be made public."[81]
Woodford, who had succeeded Keith at Copenhagen as Minister-Resident,
received strict orders to do all in his power to prevent the
dissemination of scandalous publications. There were a great many.
The year of the Queen's arrival at Celle, Woodford writes to England
of "a most injurious libel," in manuscript, being circulated against
the Queen, and suspects it is a piece of malice on the part of Count
Rantzau.[82] Again, he writes of the circulation of a paper containing
the "most detestable part of Struensee's deposition".[83] A whole
case of these papers was seized at the Custom House, and owing to the
protests of the English minister, Count Osten ordered all copies to be
suppressed and the sale forbidden under heavy penalties. Woodford later
had a conversation with Count Andreas Bernstorff[84] (who had succeeded
Osten at the Foreign Office) on the subject, and reported: "The Danish
Minister said it could never be forgotten that the Queen of Denmark
was mother of the Prince Royal, the King's sister, and a daughter of
England, which were too important considerations not to engage him
to be vigilant and active against everything that could in the most
distant manner reflect upon the late melancholy and unfortunate
transaction."[85]
[81] Suffolk's despatch to Woodford at Copenhagen, December 15, 1772.
[82] Woodford's despatch, Copenhagen, December 2, 1772.
[83] _Ibid._, December 8 and 29, 1772.
[84] Andreas Peter Bernstorff, nephew and successor of the famous
minister, who became foreign minister on the disgrace of Osten in 1773
and resigned in 1780. He was recalled by the Crown Prince when Regent,
afterwards Frederick VI.
[85] Woodford's despatch, May 1, 1773.
Queen Matilda was exceedingly touched by the way in which she was
received by the townsfolk of Celle, and as the days went by she more
than confirmed the first impressions they had formed of her, and won
the affection of all the inhabitants from the highest to the lowest.
Celle now, as then, is a quiet little town, with quaint old houses and
irregular streets, and no description could convey a complete idea of
its homelike charm. The houses are not built with the magnificence
of those of Lübeck or Brunswick, whose style they resemble, but on a
more modest scale. Most of the old houses date from the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries, with high-pitched, red-tiled roofs, and with
huge wooden beams built into the walls, and the intervening spaces
filled up with brickwork or clay. Here a window, there a doorway
or gable-end, calls up the glamour of the past. The outside walls
of the old houses are often painted with figures, vines, grapes,
oak-leaves, and so forth, while the beams, sills, ties and other
woodwork are enriched with carvings showing quaint devices, or texts or
mottoes--sometimes humorous and sometimes pious.[86]
[86] The town of Celle has altered very little since Matilda's day.
It has grown towards the south, and is now the seat of the higher
provincial tribunal of the province of Hanover. The town has nearly
twenty thousand inhabitants.
The Queen walked almost daily about the town, generally attended by
only one lady. She went freely in and out among the people, making
purchases in the shops, visiting the poor and sick, comforting them
with kind words and deeds, and taking a sympathetic interest in
everything that concerned them. In her intercourse with the townsfolk
of Celle she showed herself opposed to all pride and etiquette, and
did her best to bridge over the gulf which separated the classes even
more in the eighteenth century than to-day. It was known that she had
her sorrows, but she never complained, and conducted herself with a
gentle kindness which won all with whom she came into contact. She
found great consolation in the society of her former friend, Madame de
Plessen, who, soon after she had been banished from Copenhagen, took
a house at Celle, and who now renewed her friendship with her young
mistress. Matilda never rode, fond though she was of that exercise,
and though horses in the royal stables were at her disposal. But she
drove occasionally in the country around Celle, which was not very
interesting, being for the most part a flat plain varied by clumps
of birches, firs and patches of heather. Her farthest excursion was
to Hanover, whither she went at long intervals on visits of some
ceremony.[87]
[87] Malortie II., _Beiträge zur Geschichte des
Braunschweig-Lüneburgischen Hauses und Hoses_.
[Illustration: QUEEN MATILDA.
_From the Painting formerly at Celle._]
The Queen's favourite walk was in the French garden outside the
town--so-called because it was planned out after the fashion Le Nôtre
had set at Versailles. The paths ran in straight lines between
avenues of lime-trees and clipped hedges, something after the manner of
Herrenhausen, but smaller. The French garden was public to the town,
and in her walks there Matilda made many friends. She often conversed
with the townsfolk, walking there, with such affability that they were
speedily put at their ease, and became convinced that the Queen's
friendliness was not feigned, but true and natural. She was especially
fond of children, and rarely passed them without a kind word; almost
every day the school children were able to tell their parents that the
"good Queen," as she was everywhere called, had talked to them. She
often invited children to a little party at the castle, where all sorts
of things were done to give them pleasure; sometimes she would go to
the parents of quite poor children in the town and ask them to spare
her their little ones for a few hours.
The Queen was never so happy as in the society of children, and her
great grief was her forced separation from her own; she was never heard
to regret the loss of her throne or the brilliant life of courts, but
she frequently bewailed the loss of her children. Juliana Maria was
determined to prevent every means of communication between the exiled
Queen and her children, and for good reason. The secretary at the
British Legation writes of her "apprehension" that the Crown Prince
"might one day revenge the injurious treatment his royal mother had
undergone".[88] It was with much difficulty that Matilda at last
obtained from Copenhagen a picture of her little son. She hung it
in her bedroom, immediately facing her bed, and often gazed at it
longingly. Once when she was repeating some verses to the picture, she
was surprised by the Baroness d'Ompteda. The Queen repeated the lines,
which she said she had altered to suit her sad case:--
Eh! qui donc, comme moi, gouterait la douceur
De t'appeller mon fils, d'être chère à ton coeur!
Toi, qu'on arrache aux bras d'une mère sensible,
Qui ne pleure que toi, dans ce destin terrible.[89]
[88] J. J. Haber's despatch, November 27, 1773.
[89]
Ah! who, like me, could taste the joy divine,
My lovely babe! to mix thy soul with mine!
Torn from my breast, I weep alone for thee
Amidst the griefs which Heaven dispensed to me.
The Queen often wept when she thought of her children, and this,
indeed, was the only point on which she refused to be comforted.
Maternal love was very strong in Matilda's heart. She took into the
castle a motherless little girl of four years old, named Sophie von
Benningsen, so that she might give her a mother's care and training.
To provide the Queen with some diversion the theatre in the castle
was fitted up, and a company of players came from Hanover at regular
intervals, and gave representations there. To these entertainments
the Queen would invite the principal people in Celle, and she always
attended, and occupied the ducal box--the same box from which her
great-grandmother, Sophie Dorothea, had smiled across the courtiers
to Königsmarck a hundred years before. Great care was taken that
there should be nothing in the plays which could even remotely
resemble the Queen's sad history; to this end comedies were always
acted, and tragedies were forbidden. Nevertheless, once, when some
children appeared on the stage, the Queen was overcome by emotion, and
hurriedly left her box. It was a long time before she could recover
her self-control, and she walked about the gardens, notwithstanding
that the night was rough and windy, until she regained it. After this
incident no more children figured in the plays at Celle.
One day of the Queen's life at Celle very much resembled another, and
in that it had no history it might be regarded as happy, though the
shadow of sadness brooded over all. She rose early--between seven
and eight--and, if the weather permitted, took a little walk in the
gardens of the castle, or by the side of the Aller. Some mornings she
would breakfast in the gardens, at others return to the castle. After
breakfast she would dress herself for the day, and appear in her little
circle for an hour. Then often she would go out again, either for a
drive, or for a walk in the French garden, and come back to dinner at
the castle about two o'clock. She dined with all her household, seated
at the head of the table, and conversation was generally brisk and
lively. After dinner she would retire to her own apartments, and read,
or do some needlework, or play on the harpsichord, and sing to it,
for she was an accomplished musician. Later, she would again go for
a walk in the garden, if the weather was fine. Then she dressed for
the evening, and joined the circle of her court at eight, when supper
was served. To this meal guests were frequently invited from the town,
such as Prince Ernest of Mecklenburg-Strelitz or Madame de Plessen,
the colonel of the regiment, or some of the neighbouring nobility and
gentry. After supper there would be music, or cards, or conversation
in the long gallery; sometimes there was a performance in the theatre.
At eleven the Queen would retire to her apartments, and the company
broke up. She did not always retire to bed at once, for she was fond of
astronomy, and on fine nights would repair to the tower of the castle,
where there was a telescope, and gaze for a long time at the starry
heavens; sometimes she would recite some poetry. Her favourite poem was
a hymn of Gellert's, which began:--
_Nie will ich dem zu schaden suchen,_
_Der mir zu schaden sucht._
_Nie will ich meinem Feinde fluchen,_
_Wenn er aus Hass mir flucht._[90]
[90]
Never will I try to harm
Him who does me wrong, etc.
She was regular in her attendance at public worship; every Sunday
found her in the chapel, attended by her household. The service, which
was after the Lutheran ritual, was conducted by her chaplain, Pastor
Lehzen. On rare occasions she attended the church in the town. Every
now and then she gave little parties at the castle--on the occasion
of her own birthday, or that of members of her suite. In a letter
(July 24, 1773) to her chief lady, Baroness d'Ompteda, who was then
absent for a few weeks, taking the waters of Prymont, the Queen wrote:
"Madame de Plessen, having wished to celebrate my birthday, gave an
illumination in the garden; but the wind was so strong that the bonfire
would not burn, so she gave it yesterday evening, when the weather was
more favourable. I was there, and went to see the illuminations, which
were everywhere good. The whole of the town was illuminated."[91] One
or two more letters, of no particular importance, addressed by the
Queen to the Baroness d'Ompteda, have been found. Some slight signs of
weariness are evident. She laments that she is unable to send any news;
"but you know Celle," she writes, "and therefore will understand".[92]
Her life was undoubtedly monotonous, but it seems to have been fairly
happy, and she enjoyed the visits of her sister, the Princess of
Brunswick, who frequently posted over to Celle for a few days. These
visits were the pleasantest distractions of Matilda's life.
[91] N. Falck, _Neues Staatsbürgerliche's Magazin_, Band i., Schleswig,
1883, S. 623.
[92] _Ibid._, S. 624.
One John Moore, who was a travelling companion of the Duke of Hamilton,
came with the Duke to Celle in the summer of 1773 on the way from
Hanover, and afterwards published a volume of his travels, in which
appears the following account:--[93]
[93] _A View of Society and Manners in France, Switzerland and
Germany_, by John Moore, London, 1779.
"Before dinner I went with the Duke to the castle, where we remained
till late in the evening. There was a concert of music between dinner
and supper, and the Queen seemed in better spirits than could have been
expected....
"The apartments are spacious and convenient, and now handsomely
furnished. The _entourage_ of the court--the Queen's maids-of-honour
and other attendants--have a very genteel appearance, and retain the
most respectful attachment to their ill-fated mistress.
"The few days we remained at Zell were spent entirely at court, where
everything seemed to be arranged in the style of the other small
German courts, and nothing wanting to render the Queen's situation
as comfortable as circumstances would admit. But by far her greatest
consolation is the company and conversation of her sister; some degree
of satisfaction appears in her countenance while the Princess remains
at Zell, but the moment she goes away, the Queen, as we are informed,
becomes a prey to dejection and despondency. The Princess exerts
herself to prevent this, and devotes to her sister all the time she can
spare from the duties she owes to her own family. Unlike those who take
the first pretext of breaking connections which can no longer be of
advantage, this humane Princess has displayed even more attachment to
her sister since her misfortunes than she ever did while the Queen was
in the meridian of her prosperity.
"The youth, the agreeable countenance and obliging manners of the
Queen have conciliated the minds of every one in this country. Though
she was in perfect health and appeared cheerful, yet, convinced that
her gaiety was assumed and the effect of a strong effort, I felt an
impression of melancholy which it was not in my power to overcome all
the time we remained at Zell."
So matters remained at Celle for nearly two years, and then there came
excitement into Matilda's quiet life.
In September, 1774, a young Englishman, named Wraxall, of good
Somersetshire family, arrived at Celle. Wraxall was an active,
ambitious and enterprising youth, and the fact that he was not rich
warned him that he must do something. He therefore resolved to win fame
and money by authorship, and to this end set out to make a tour in
northern Europe, then comparatively little known. He travelled through
Denmark, Sweden and a little of Russia, and came back by way of north
Germany to Hamburg. The recent events in Copenhagen (for they were then
recent) had excited an extraordinary amount of interest in England, and
Wraxall resolved to be the first to give a really full and particular
account of what had happened there two years before. So he went to
Copenhagen on a voyage of inquiry, and when he was there kept his
eyes and ears well open, with the result that he gleaned a great many
details of the palace revolution. On his return to Hamburg, as he was
so near, he thought he would go to Celle, and pay his respects to the
unfortunate heroine of the Danish revolution of 1772, and thus make his
contemplated book more complete. To this end he travelled to Celle, and
presented himself to Baron Seckendorf, the Queen's chamberlain, and
stated his wishes. Seckendorf submitted his name to the Queen, who,
always accessible, said that it would give her pleasure to receive Mr.
Wraxall, whom she understood to be a young Englishman of birth and
education. The Princess of Brunswick, who was staying with her sister
at the time, and who was above all things anxious to amuse her, also
thought that the company of a travelled and agreeable Englishman would
be a welcome diversion. Therefore Baron Seckendorf informed Wraxall
that the Queen would receive him. He described the audience in his
private journal:--
"_Monday, September 19_:--
"I went at half-past one to the castle of Zell. Mr. Seckendorf
introduced me to the _Grande Maîtresse_ of her Highness the Princess
of Brunswick. The Princess herself entered in about a quarter of an
hour; she gave me her hand to kiss, and began conversation with me
directly. It was interrupted by the Queen's entrance, to whom I was
presented with the same ceremony. Her Majesty and the Princess kept
me in constant talk before and after dinner. We talked of Denmark, of
Prince Frederick, his intended marriage, etc. 'He was a youth,' said
she [the Queen], 'unknown while I was there.' Hirschholm, she said, was
her favourite palace. 'But tell me,' said the Princess, 'about the
Queen-Mother; she is my aunt, but no matter. Say what you will; you
may be free. And for the King, how is he?' I very frankly expressed my
sentiments. The Queen asked me a thousand questions about the court
of Russia, Sweden, my travels, etc. The Queen asked me also about her
children, the Prince in particular; I told her how they dressed him
now. I assured her I had been taken for a spy in Copenhagen.... Her
Majesty was very gay, and seemed in no way a prey to melancholy; she
was very fat for so young a woman. She asked me my age; I told her.
'You are then,' said she, 'exactly as old as I am; we were born in
the same year.' Her features are pretty, and her teeth very small,
even and white. She resembles his Majesty [George III.] infinitely in
face, but the Princess said not so strongly as she. I don't think so,
and told her Royal Highness so; her Majesty appealed to one of her
maids-of-honour, who agreed in opinion with me. The Queen was dressed
in a Barré-coloured gown, or at least an orange-red so very nearly
resembling it that I could not distinguish the difference. I asked
her how many languages she spoke. 'Five,' she said--'Danish, English,
French, German and Italian.'
"The Princess [of Brunswick] is much thinner in face, but not a great
deal less in her person; she wants the Queen of Denmark's teeth,
but has a very good complexion. She talked to me about the Duchess
of Glo'ster--if I had seen her, if I knew her. 'She is a very fine
woman,' she added, 'even now.' Mrs. C ... was mentioned. 'She was a
prodigious favourite,' I remarked, 'of the Duke of York.' She replied
with a smile: 'For the moment!' She did me the honour to ask me to take
Brunswick in my way next summer, or whenever I visited Germany again.
She said she might and should have mistaken me for a Frenchman. 'You
don't take that for a compliment, do you?' the Queen observed. Indeed,
no; I was too proud of my country. Macaronis formed a part of our
conversation. 'It is all over now,' I said; 'the word is quite extinct
in England.' 'But tell me,' said her Majesty, 'tell me ingenuously,
were you not a bit of a one while it lasted?' I assured her not. I took
my leave soon after dinner.
"_Tuesday, September 20_:--
"About ten o'clock I went to the Hôtel de Ville, where at this time
the shops of the merchants who come to the fair of Zell are held. Her
Majesty the Queen and her sister the Princess were there. I had the
honour to talk with them nearly an hour; we conversed in English most
familiarly on fifty subjects--the Grand Duke of Russia, the Empress,
the peace between Russia and Turkey, my travels, Dantzig, formed the
chief articles. I showed her Majesty my medals of the Empress of Russia
and some other things. She was dressed quite _à l'Anglaise_--a white
bonnet, a pale-pink night-gown a gauze handkerchief, with a little
locket on her bosom. Her face is very handsome; they are his Majesty's
features, but all softened and harmonised. Pity she is so large in
her person. The Princess was quite English all over--a black hat over
her eyes and a common night-gown with a black apron."
The next day Wraxall took his leave of Celle, well pleased with his
visit, and proceeded to Hamburg, where he intended to take ship for
England. But at Hamburg something happened which upset all his plans,
and for a short time linked his fortunes closely with those of Queen
Matilda.
[Illustration: AUGUSTA, PRINCESS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND DUCHESS OF
BRUNSWICK, SISTER OF QUEEN MATILDA.
_From the Painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds._]