(A.D. 1744-1818.)
|Long before his death, George II. began to look about for a wife for
his grandson, George William Frederick, whose father, Frederick, Prince
of Wales, died when the young prince was only thirteen years of
age. This event made young George heir to the throne of England;
consequently, it was by no means an unimportant matter to decide upon
a lady worthy of the honor of marrying him. Before telling how it was
settled, let us take a look at the early life and education of the
prince.
He was such a feeble infant at the time of his birth that he was
baptized privately on the following day; but a month later he had
improved so much that this ceremony was repeated in public, when the
King-of Prussia and the Duke of Saxe-Gotha were god-fathers by proxy,
and the Queen of Prussia god-mother, also by proxy. No doubt the old
king would have stood sponsor for his first grandson if he had been
friendly with the Prince of Wales; but we know of the enmity that
existed between that father and son. It fortunately did not extend to
the grandson, who became good friends with George II,. and was admitted
on familiar terms to his presence.
[[A.D. 1748.]] George was not a bright boy at his studies; for when he
was eleven years old he could not read English, though he knew something
of Latin. Baron Stein-
{137}
[Illustration: 0143]
berg {139}was directed by the king to find out what progress the royal
children were making in their studies. He examined them, and said to
Prince George, "I will report your proficiency in Latin; but I wish you
were a little more perfect in your German grammar."
"German grammar!" exclaimed the boy, "oh, any stupid child can learn
that."
[[A.D. 1749.]] He had for drawing-master Goupy, the artist, who was very
fond of him. One day the pupil was standing behind his father's chair,
where he had been placed for punishment, when the master entered. "Sit
down, Goupy, and go on with your sketch," said the Prince of Wales. But
as the artist declared that it was impossible for him to use his pencil
with any spirit while his little friend was in disgrace, the prince was
released. George never forgot this act of consideration; and many years
later, when he was king, he met poor Goupy, then eighty-four years of
age, in great distress, tottering along the road from Kensington to
London, with bailiffs at his heels. The king stopped his carriage,
and called out, "How now, Goupy! how now! What's the matter?" The aged
artist replied that he had been arrested for debt, but added: "As I once
took your majesty out of confinement, I trust you will not suffer me to
be imprisoned."
"O Goupy!" returned the king. "Bailiffs, eh? I can't stop the law, you
know; let it take its course. But--d'ye hear, Goupy?--Ramus shall settle
this business, and I'll take care to secure you from such dangers in
future."
[[A.D. 1750.]] It was the fashion among the Georges for each one to hate
his heir, and Frederick, Prince of Wales, did not depart from it. He
lavished all his affection on Edward, his second son; but a short time
before his death, which occurred in 1751, he sent for the prince, and,
embracing him tenderly, said: "Come, George, let us be good {140}friends
while we are suffered to be so." It was not to be for a very long time,
as he knew; but the interview made a favorable impression on the boy,
who was very much grieved when his father died. Soon after an act of
parliament made the Princess-Dowager of Wales guardian and regent of
the heir-apparent during his minority; and then the boy, who had already
been made a Knight of the Garter, was created Prince of Wales and Earl
of Chester.
[[A.D. 1752.]] When, at the age of twenty-three, George III. ascended
the throne, his knowledge of books and men was very limited, though the
latter he learned to know by experience. He was about fourteen years of
age when Lord Bute began to take a share in his education, and laid the
foundation of his future influence over the mind of the prince.
[[A.D. 1756.]] George William Frederick was not more than seventeen
years old when, as we have said, his grandfather began to think of a
wife for him.
While the king was thus interesting himself for his grandson, that young
prince fell in love with Lady Sarah Lennox, a virtuous, beautiful young
English girl, whom Walpole thus describes: "There was a play at Holland
House, acted by Children: not all children, for Lady Sarah Lennox and
Lady Susan Strangways played the women. They were delightful, and acted
with so much nature that they appeared the very people they represented.
Lady Sarah was more beautiful than you can conceive; and her very
awkwardness gave an air of' truth to the sham of the part. When Lady
Sarah was in white, with her hair about her ears and on the ground, no
Magdalen of Correggio was half so lovely and expressive."
[[A.D. 1760.]] Although George admired Lady Sarah, he could not marry
her, because she was English, therefore his subject; but he was wise
enough to choose a bride for {141}himself at last. A princess of
Saxe-Gotha had been selected by the royal mother and Lord Bute; but
the king said he had already had enough of that family. Then a Colonel
Graeme was sent to visit all the German courts in search of a princess,
good, beautiful, and accomplished. At Pyrmont he happened to fall in
with the Princess-Dowager of Strelitz, with her two daughters. There
was very little etiquette observed at this watering-place. The young
princesses went about with a good deal of freedom, which was the more
agreeable to them, because it formed such a contrast to the stiffness
and formality of the life at their little court. Colonel Graeme was thus
afforded an opportunity of approaching them; and it was not long before
he decided that the Princess Charlotte was in every way a desirable
person to become the wife of the future King of England.
This princess was born at the palace of Mirow, May 16, 1744; and her
early education was conducted by her mother, with the assistance of an
accomplished, noble lady. She was not more than seven years of age when
Madame de Grabow began to instruct her. This lady was possessed of such
poetical talent as to be called "the German Sappho," and proved of great
service to her pupil, who became, under her tuition, a good German,
French, and Italian scholar. The princess was well instructed besides
in history, geography, and mineralogy; danced with grace, sketched well,
and showed a great deal of talent for music. Above all, she was good and
religious.
So Colonel Graeme's report was favorable; but George would not have
consented to wed the princess if he had not known something more about
her, and this was through a letter, said to have been written by her to
the King of Prussia, which by some means fell into George's hands. It
was during the Continental war, when the towns and villages {142}of the
duchy of Mecklenburgh were occupied by the Prussian troops, that this
letter was written. Her native land was subjected to such misery that
many families were obliged to seek homes elsewhere; and it was under
the impulse of strong excitement that the princess addressed the King of
Prussia, thus:--
"May it please your Majesty,--
"I am at loss whether I should congratulate or condole with you on your
late victory over Marshal Daun, since the same success which has
covered you with laurels has overspread the country of Mecklenburgh with
desolation. I know, sire, that it seems unbecoming my sex in this age of
vicious refinement to feel for one's country, to lament the horrors of
war, or to wish for the return of peace. I know you may think it more
properly my province to study the arts of pleasing, or to inspect
subjects of a more domestic nature; but, however unbecoming it may be in
me, I cannot resist the desire of interceding for this unhappy people.
"It was but a very few years ago that this territory wore a most
pleasing appearance; the country was cultivated, the peasants looked
cheerful, and the towns abounded with riches and festivity. What an
alteration at present from such a charming scene! I am not expert at
description, nor can my fancy add any horrors to the picture; but surely
even conquerors themselves would weep at the hideous prospects now
before me. The whole country--my dear country!--lies one frightful
waste; presenting only objects to excite terror, pity, and despair. The
employments of the husbandman and the shepherd are quite suspended; for
the husbandman and the shepherd are become soldiers themselves, and
help to ravage the soil which they formerly cultivated. The towns
are inhabited only by old men, women, and children; while, perhaps,
{143}here and there a warrior, by wounds or loss of limbs rendered unfit
for service, is left at his door, where his little children hang round
him, ask the history of every wound, and grow themselves soldiers before
they find strength for the field. But this were nothing, did we not
feel the alternate insolence of either army as it happens to advance or
retreat in pursuing the operations of the campaign. It is impossible,
indeed, to express the confusion which they who call themselves our
friends create; for even those from whom we might expect relief only
oppress us with new calamities. From your justice, therefore, it is,
sire, that we hope redress; to you even children and women may complain,
whose humanity stoops to the meanest petitions, and whose power is
capable of repressing the greatest wrong!"
We have given the whole of this letter, because it is a remarkable
production from the pen of so young a girl. So thought the king to whom
it was addressed, for he instructed his soldiers to be more humane;
and so thought George III., who was charmed with the eloquence and kind
heart of the writer. We say George III., because by this time the young
prince had ascended the throne.
On the morning after the death of his grandfather, who had said of
him, "The boy is good for nothing but to read the Bible to his mother,"
George proceeded from Kew to St. James's Palace, accompanied by Lord
Bute. On his arrival there, he was presented by Mr. Pitt, the secretary
of state, with a paper, on which were written a few sentences that the
minister had prepared as a basis of the new king's speech to the privy
council. George thanked Mr. Pitt, but said that he had already prepared
himself; and he soon proved that he had done so, for the councillors
were astonished at the grace and dignity of his address.
Although in ordinary conversation George III. spoke so {144}rapidly that
it was almost impossible to comprehend him, in public he was perfectly
intelligible, and moderated his voice as well as any man in his
dominions. He was exceedingly popular on his accession. In his opening
speech before parliament, he--who, it must be remembered, was the first
English George,--said: "Born and educated in this country, I glory in
the name of Briton; and the peculiar happiness of my life will ever
consist in promoting the welfare of a people whose loyalty and warm
affection for me I consider as the greatest and most permanent security
of my throne; and I doubt not but their steadiness in those principles
will equal the firmness of my invariable resolution to adhere to and
strengthen this excellent constitution in church and state, and to
maintain toleration inviolable." Mr. Pitt could have prepared no speech
for the king that would have been more satisfactory than this, and he
made several others that were equally so.
On July 8, 1761, the king announced to his council that he had, after
mature reflection, come to the resolution to demand in marriage Princess
Charlotte of Mecklenburgh-Strelitz, a lady distinguished by every virtue
and amiable quality. On the fifteenth of the next month the treaty was
concluded, and preparations were immediately made to conduct the bride
to England. The Earl of Harcourt and the Duchesses of Ancaster and
Hamilton, the two finest women of the British court, were selected
to escort her; and the royal yacht in which she and her suite were to
embark was ordered to be convoyed by a fleet under the command of Lord
Anson.
[[A.D. 1761.]] Lord Harcourt wrote to a friend that the bride was "the
most amiable young princess he ever saw;" and was very enthusiastic over
the reception he had met with at the little German court, saying, "The
great honor the king has done this family is seen in its proper light."
{145}
[Illustration: 0151]
{147}His task was an easy and pleasant one, and his
testimony regarding the bride runs thus: "Our queen that is to be
has seen very little of the world; but her good sense, vivacity, and
cheerfulness, I dare say, will recommend her to the king, and make her
the darling of the British nation. She is no regular beauty; but she is
of a very pretty size, has a charming complexion, very pretty eyes,
and is, in short, a very fine girl." The two duchesses who were sent to
conduct the bride to England were such splendid-looking women that they
excited the greatest amount of admiration in Germany, and Charlotte
began to have some misgivings as to her own personal appearance when
compared with them. "Are all the women in England as beautiful as you
are?" she asked when first she saw them.
The treaty of marriage was concluded on the 15th of August, the Earl of
Hardwicke acting as the king's ambassador; and then there were two days
of state-banquets, balls, fireworks, and illuminations in the city of
Strelitz, and everybody seemed wild with joy. On the seventeenth, the
princess took leave of her family and began her journey towards the
sea-coast, being received with demonstrations of delight from the
populace wherever she stopped. When she embarked at Cuxhaven all the
ships fired a salute of twenty-one guns each, and the young bride was
so overcome that she exclaimed, "Is it possible that I can be worthy of
these honors?" The weather was so unfavorable that the squadron did not
proceed to sea until the twenty-eighth. At length, on Sunday, September
6, the royal yacht entered Harwich Roads; but, as it was not possible to
guess at the length of the voyage, no preparations had been made for the
reception of the princess, and she could not land until the next day.
Even then the king was not present, and she was received by no higher
dignitary than the mayor. In the {148}afternoon she proceeded to
Colchester, where she was entertained at the house of a private
gentleman.
On the eighth the princess arrived at Romford, where she alighted at the
house of Mr. Dalton, a wine-merchant, and waited an hour for the royal
carriages and servants, sent from London to meet her. She then took her
seat in one of the carriages with the two Duchesses of Ancaster and
Hamilton. "She wore a fly-cap," say the chroniclers, "with rich lace
lappets, a stomacher ornamented with diamonds, and a gold brocade
suit, with a white ground." Three carriages containing ladies from
Mecklenburgh and lords from St. James's preceded that of the princess,
and they all passed in procession through lines of people, militia, and
horse and foot-guards to London.
The young bride had been very gay and self-possessed throughout the
journey, but as soon as she came in sight of St. James's Palace her
courage failed; she trembled and turned pale. The Duchess of Hamilton
smiled; whereupon the princess said: "My dear duchess, you may
laugh,--you have been married twice,--but it's no joke to me."
When the royal carriage stopped at the palace gate the bride stepped
out, assisted by the lord-chamberlain, Duke of Devonshire, and advanced
into the garden as the king came forward to meet her. She sank down upon
her knees; but he quickly raised her, kissed her on the cheek, and led
her into the palace. At first sight of the German princess, George
III. was certainly disappointed; but it was only a momentary cloud that
passed over his countenance, for he treated his bride with a great deal
of tenderness and consideration always. Soon after her arrival a dinner
was served, and then the bridesmaids and the court were all presented to
the princess, who said: "_Mon Dieu, il y en a tant, il y en a tant!_" No
wonder she was appalled {149}at the sight of so many strange faces
and the sound of so many strange names. She kissed the princesses with
evident pleasure; but, when it came to offering her hand to be kissed by
those of lower rank, she had to be instructed by the king's sister, the
Princess Augusta, how to do it.
At seven o'clock in the evening the nobility congregated in the royal
chapel to witness the marriage ceremony, which was performed by the Lord
Archbishop of Canterbury. All the royal family were present, and
the king's brother, Edward, Duke of York, gave away the bride. Four
daughters of earls acted as train-bearers, or bridesmaids. Among these
was the beautiful Lady Sarah Lennox, with whom the king had once been
in love. The queen was dressed in silver brocade, with a long train of
violet-colored velvet, lined with crimson, and fastened at the shoulders
with a bunch of large pearls.
After the ceremony the king and queen occupied two state-chairs under a
canopy on one side of the altar, and the mother of the monarch sat in
a similar chair of state on the opposite side. The other members of the
royal family were seated on stools, while benches were provided for the
foreign ministers and others. At half-past ten the marriage procession
returned from the chapel, when a salute was fired from the artillery of
the park and the Tower.
While the company waited for supper the bride sang and played, and
conversed in French and German with the king, the Duke of Cumberland,
and the Duke of York. Indeed, she behaved so prettily that all were
charmed with her graceful, easy, sensible manners. At the wedding
reception everybody was presented to the young queen; but, as she was
acquainted with neither the history nor the names of the guests, she
spoke to no one. The king looked very handsome, in a rich brocaded satin
and velvet costume, and spoke good-naturedly to his bride and many of
the court ladies and gentlemen. {150}On the Sunday after their marriage
the royal couple attended divine service at the chapel, and both seemed
very happy. The next evening they went in chairs to Drury-lane Theatre,
attended by the horse-guards. The king was preceded by the Duke of
Devonshire, his lord-chamberlain, and the Honorable Mr. Finch,
his vice-chamberlain; the queen by the Duke of Manchester, her
lord-chamberlain, Lord Cantalupe, her vice-chamberlain, the Earl of
Harcourt, her master of horse, and the Duchess of Ancaster and the
Countess of Effingham. These went in carriages, and took their places in
the box of the theatre, before the royal couple appeared. Never had
such a crowd of people been seen in the streets as gathered between St.
James's Palace and the theatre, to get a glimpse of the new queen, and
never had the play-house presented so brilliant a spectacle; for all
the ladies and gentlemen wore the same rich jewelry and dresses that had
been made for the wedding drawing-room, and the house was packed from
pit to dome. The queen had never seen a dramatic entertainment-before in
her life, nor had she ever beheld such a brilliant concourse of people,
and her childish wonder and delight lit up her pleasant countenance, and
added much to her attractive appearance. There probably never was
great enjoyment without something to mar it, and this case formed no
exception; but it did not affect the royal couple personally. It was the
crowd in the streets that had their small share in the fun spoiled by
attempting to enter the theatre. Many women had their clothing torn off;
one poor girl was killed outright; a man was so trampled upon that his
recovery seemed doubtful, and many were scratched and bruised quite
seriously.
This did not deter the populace from gathering again in much larger
numbers to witness the coronation. Grand preparations had been made for
this imposing ceremony, {151}which was to be as fine as any that had
ever taken place in England. Thousands sat in the streets all night in
order to secure good places, and long before daylight the scaffoldings
which had been erected on all the street-corners were crowded. A row of
foot-soldiers was placed on either side of the street, and parties of
horse-guards at proper intervals. The coaches and chairs of the nobility
began to hurry about to their various destinations soon after daylight;
but even then the roads were so blocked up that ladies in full-dress
were in some instances forced to walk, escorted by soldiers to their
places. When it is considered that the Countess of Northampton wore
three hundred thousand pounds' worth of diamonds, and all the noble
ladies wore rich gems of great value, the military protection will not
seem superfluous, particularly in such a crowd.
Their majesties were carried in chairs from St. James's to Westminster
Hall at nine o'clock in the morning; but they had to wait until chairs
of state with the canopy were put in place, for they had been forgotten
amidst all the preparations. The whole scene was so splendid that it is
impossible to do it justice in words, and Queen Charlotte looked back
before entering the Abbey at the sea of heads and faces with perfect
amazement.
A very imposing and pretty part of the show was the procession of the
Princess-Dowager of Wales from the House of Lords to the Abbey. The
royal mother was led by the hand of her young son, William Henry, and
followed by the other members of her household, all attired in white
and silver. The princess wore a silk train short enough to require no
bearers; her long hair fell over her shoulders in ringlets, and her head
was encircled by a band of diamonds.
The Westminster boys sang _Vivat Regina_ as the queen {152}entered the
Abbey, and _Vivat Rex_ when the king appeared, then followed the usual
ceremonies, and a sermon by the Bishop of Salisbury. The Archbishop of
Canterbury placed the crowns on the heads of the sovereigns, and then
proceeded to administer the sacrament. Contrary to any precedent, the
king desired his crown to be removed, that he might appear humbly at
this ceremony; but, as the queen's crown had been fastened on with
pins to keep it secure, it was not an easy matter for her to follow the
king's example, therefore he consented that she might retain hers;
but it was to be considered simply as part of her dress, and not as
indicating any power or greatness in a person kneeling before God.
The banquet which followed cost ten thousand pounds. Earl Talbot carried
the second course to the king's table. He had taken great pains to train
his horse to back the whole length of the hall, so that on retiring the
animal would not turn his rump towards the king. So much training must
have bewildered the horse, for he backed _into_ the hall, much to the
disgust of the earl, and was heartily applauded by the spectators at his
retreat. The champion appeared on the identical charger that George II.
had ridden at the battle of Dettingen, and acted his part admirably.
Many persons of quality in the galleries let down handkerchiefs tied
together, and strings with baskets attached, for some of the good things
from the tables; for they had eaten nothing since morning, and were
almost famished.
It was the universal opinion that no public festival had ever passed
off with more _eclat_ than the coronation of George III. and Queen
Charlotte. They were both young and popular, and the nation was enjoying
a season of prosperity with political leaders who were in favor. The
removal of Pitt, the prime minister, who had been replaced {153}by Lord
Bute, was not considered a wise move on the part of George; but he had
stood in awe of that powerful statesman, and had declared, "that he
would not be the only slave in a country where it was his wish to see
all the people free."
[Illustration: 0159]
London became very gay under the new reign. The queen announced her
intention to attend the opera once a week, and that seemed a great deal
of dissipation to a woman who had been strictly educated in the smallest
and quietest of German courts. She was soon coaxed into attending the
theatre oftener, particularly as the great actor, David Garrick, was
then at his best. He had excited universal praise as Richard III., in
which he made his first appearance twenty years before. But this was
all new to the young queen, who, after witnessing one play, thirsted for
another. One night she went with the king to see "King John"; but that
play was not repeated, because {154}George III. grievously offended
Garrick by preferring another actor who took the part of Falconbridge.
As soon as the great tragedian heard of this proof of what he considered
bad taste on the part of his majesty, he would not allow "King John" to
have its run, and substituted something in which he was certain he could
have no rival.
The last splendid scene of this year was when the queen was introduced
to the citizens of London, on Lord Mayor's Day. All the royal family
left St. James's Palace at noon in great state, escorted by guards,
and cheered by crowds of people. They proceeded to the house of David
Barclay, a silk mercer, and a member of the Society of Friends. Barclay
was eighty-one years of age, and boasted of having entertained the
two other Georges on occasions similar to the one on which he welcomed
George III. and his Queen Charlotte. About a hundred Quakers had
assembled at the old man's house, which was decorated with brilliant
crimson damask, to do honor to their majesties, and each was presented
in turn. The king kissed all the women, young and old, ugly and pretty,
without distinction, and after he passed into the next room, his young
brother followed his example. A little grand-daughter of Mr. Barclay
kissed the queen's hand with so much grace that the Princess-Dowager
took her up in her arms and embraced her a dozen times. The Duke of York
was so charmed with the child that he wanted to present her to the
king; but she refused until assured that he was a prince, whereupon she
confidently put her hand in his, and permitted herself to be led. His
majesty was greatly amused when the little five-year old Quakeress told
him, "that she loved the king, though she must not love fine things, and
that her grandpapa would not allow her to kneel."
Mr. Barclay's daughters served the queen with tea; but they merely
handed it to the ladies-in-waiting, who presented {155}it on their
knees. After witnessing the procession, the royal family attended
a banquet at Guildhall, which cost eight thousand pounds. It was so
magnificent that, on retiring, the king said to the Lord Mayor, "To be
elegantly entertained I must come to this end of the city." One of the
foreign ministers described it as a feast fit only for one king to give
to another.
The year closed with an act of parliament settling forty thousand pounds
per annum on Queen Charlotte, with a dowry of a hundred thousand pounds
and two palaces, in case she should outlive the king. His majesty went
in state to the House to give the royal assent to the bill; and the
queen, who accompanied him, rose from her seat and made him a profound
curtsey in acknowledgment of the favor.
Somerset House was not considered fine enough for her majesty's town
residence, so George bought another for twenty-one thousand pounds,
and settled it on his consort. It was known as Buckingham House, and
afterwards as Queen's House, and was intended as a sort of retreat when
its owner felt disposed to retire from the ceremony and state of
St. James's Palace. It was in this house that George III. began the
formation of a library, that in the following reign was presented to the
nation, and is now in the British Museum.
The king continued for a time to be popular. In a letter written
by Horace Walpole, about this period, he says: "I saw his majesty
yesterday, and was surprised to find the levee-room had lost so entirely
the air of a lion's den. The sovereign does not stand in one spot, with
his eyes royally fixed on the ground, and dropping bits of German news;
he walks about and speaks to everybody." It was this affable manner of
George III. that pleased people, yet he could make himself disagreeable
when he chose; for {156}one historian tells us that "when anything
displeased his majesty he became sullen, silent, and cross, and would go
off to enjoy the melancholy of his own ill-humor."
[[A.D. 1762.]] Well, the royal couple established their household in
a style that would have done credit to a private family, but was not
becoming in them, because every detail was planned with an eye to
economy. Considering that the nation had made such a liberal allowance
to both the sovereigns, it was expected that they would support the
royal dignity in a manner more in accordance with the generally accepted
ideas. But they were absurdly economical, and their life was excessively
prosaic and dreary, though they were a model couple. The first
entertainment at their new house was given to about half a dozen
strangers, the whole company consisting of not more than thirty people
in all. Everybody danced excepting the king's mother, the Duchess of
Bedford, and Lady Bute. Even the king and queen, the Princess Augusta,
and her four younger brothers all danced from half after six until one
o'clock in the morning, scarcely stopping for a moment to rest, and then
the guests went home without refreshment of any kind. It was certainly
carrying economy to excess when people left a ball after several hours
of dancing, and had no supper. The famished guests must have retired in
ill-humor, and with little desire to pay so dearly in future for their
amusement. It need scarcely be said that the courtiers made fun of such
a tame entertainment, or that they were greatly disappointed because
the young couple did not establish their household on a more luxurious
scale. They had expected pleasure to reign supreme; but, instead of
that, they found an abode of gloom and meanness.
The queen's drawing-room was usually crowded; but as there were
seventeen English and Scotch unmarried
{157}
[Illustration: 0163]
{159}dukes always present, it is no wonder that ladies attended
regularly. A visit from Queen Charlotte's brother, Prince Charles of
Strelitz, was an event that disturbed the court monotony somewhat, and
so royally was that handsome young man entertained that his younger
brother afterwards spent a month in England. On that occasion, several
splendid fêtes were given in his honor by various members of the
nobility.
The most important event to the royal family of the year was the birth
of the heir-apparent, on the twelfth of August. He was christened George
Augustus Frederick the following month,--the Princess Dowager of Wales,
the Duke of Cumberland, and the Duke of Mecklenburgh acting as sponsors.
This prince reigned as George IV., and we shall tell more about him
hereafter.
[[A.D. 1763.]] Queen Charlotte was so happy in the possession of a
child of her own that she decided to do something for those who were
so unfortunate as to have lost their parents early in life; so she
established a home in Bedforshire for orphan children. A lady was placed
at the head of this establishment who received a salary of five hundred
pounds per annum, in consideration of which she was expected to
instruct the orphan girls of the Home in embroidery. Even in this act
of benevolence Queen Charlotte was somewhat calculating, for the first
piece of work produced by each girl went to her, and it always
consisted of something that could be used for window curtains, chair
or sofa-covers, or bed-quilts for one of the palaces. To be sure,
her majesty paid well for this handiwork, and performed many really
charitable acts which made her exceedingly popular.
[[A.D. 1765.]] She interfered very little with politics, but devoted
much of her time to the care of her sons, of whom she had at this time,
besides the Prince of Wales, Frederick, {160}afterwards Duke of York,
and William Henry, afterwards Duke of Clarence.
In a letter to his son, written at this period, Lord Chesterfield says
of the queen: "She is a good woman, a good wife, a tender mother, and an
unmeddling queen. The king loves her, but I verily believe has never yet
spoken to her one word about business." This is probably true, yet it
is strange; for there was much anxiety and distress in England, and
politics were in a most troubled condition.
[[A.D. 1766.]] There had been many important changes in the ministry,
and war with the colonies had increased the national debt heavily. Lord
Bute, the king's favorite, had been turned out of office, and succeeded
by George Grenville, at whose suggestion exorbitant taxes were imposed
on the American colonies. In spite of violent opposition, the stamp act
was passed by parliament, and caused great indignation among those whom
it affected. Everybody knows the important consequences of this act,
and the excitement it occasioned in the house of representatives
in Virginia, when that eloquent and popular orator, Patrick Henry,
exclaimed, "Cæsar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and
George the Third----------".
Cries of "Treason!" here interrupted the speaker; but, after a moment's
pause, he continued, "And George the Third may profit by their example.
If this be treason, make the most of it." We are not writing an American
history, and need not again refer to the Revolution that led to our
Independence; it has merely been referred to because of the excitement
it caused in England.
{161}