CHRISTIAN VII. IN ENGLAND.
1768.
Christian VII. landed at Dover on August 9, 1768. He was received with
especial marks of distinction, a salute was fired from the cannon of
the castle, and the vessels in the harbour were dressed with flags.
Royal coaches were in waiting, and Lord Hertford and Lord Falmouth
received him on behalf of the King. The King of Denmark's suite
consisted of Count Bernstorff, his principal Secretary of State, Count
Moltke the younger, Grand Marshal, Count Holck, Master of the Wardrobe,
Baron Schimmelmann, Treasurer, Baron Bülow, Lord-in-Waiting, Dr.
Struensee, Physician, and several others.
Christian declined the royal coaches, and preferred to travel in a
post-chaise to avoid ceremony. With the principal members of his
suite he pushed on ahead, leaving the others to follow with the
baggage. Lord Hertford told his Majesty that the clergy and the
corporation of Canterbury, through which city he was to pass, had made
great preparations to receive him. The King was annoyed, for he was
travelling _incognito_ as the Prince of Traventhal, and his object
in coming to England was to amuse himself, and not to be wearied by
receiving addresses from mayors and Church dignitaries--for the clergy
in particular he had a dislike. He said to Bernstorff: "The last King
of Denmark who entered Canterbury laid it to ashes. I wish the citizens
had remembered that, and then perhaps they would have let me pass
unnoticed." But Bernstorff told Christian that he must at least receive
the address, which he did with ill grace, but he declined the luncheon
prepared in his honour.
The King of Denmark arrived in London at seven o'clock in the evening,
and when his coach pulled up before St. James's Palace, Holck
exclaimed, "By God, this will never do! This is not a fit place to
lodge a _Christian_ in!" In truth the somewhat dingy exterior of St.
James's Palace was not, at first sight, likely to impress a foreigner,
but when the King entered he pronounced his lodgings tolerable. George
III. had spent £3,000 in refurnishing a suite of apartments for his
brother-in-law. Moreover, he defrayed the cost of his royal guest's
table during his stay in England, at the cost of £84 a day, without
wine, and the wine bill, no doubt, was a heavy addition. He also
decorated the King of Denmark's sideboard with the splendid gold plate
of Henry VII., which was seldom used, except at coronation banquets,
and was brought from the Tower especially for the occasion. These marks
of respect, it may be supposed, George III. paid to the office of the
King, for it is certain that he disliked the man, and heartily wished
him anywhere but at St. James's.
Christian VII. had invited himself to the English court, and came as
a most unwelcome guest. His visit was singularly ill-timed, for the
Wilkes riots had taken place recently, and the King was unpopular,
and much worried and annoyed. Moreover, the court was in mourning for
the Princess Louisa Anne, and the King wished to give none but the
absolutely necessary receptions this year. He disliked festivities
as much as the King of Denmark revelled in them, and he grudged the
outlay which the visit of his self-invited guest entailed. Besides,
George III., who was a model of the domestic virtues, had heard of the
profligacy of the King of Denmark, and the cruelty and disrespect with
which he treated his Queen. Matilda had written home piteous complaints
of the sufferings she endured, and though George III. declined to
interfere between man and wife, and advised his sister to make the
best of her lot, he felt just resentment against her husband, who
ill-treated her so grossly.[94]
[94] George III.'s repugnance to the King of Denmark's visit is shown
in the following note which he wrote to Lord Weymouth before he came:
"As to-morrow is the day you receive foreign ministers, you will
acquaint M. de Dieden (the Danish minister) that I desire he will
assure the King, his master, that I am desirous of making his stay in
this country as agreeable as possible. That I therefore wish to be
thoroughly apprized of the mode in which he chooses to be treated, that
I may exactly conform to it. This will throw whatever may displease
the King of Denmark, during his stay here, on his shoulders, and
consequently free me from that _désagrément_; but you know very well
that the whole of _it is very disagreeable to me_." [Richmond Lodge,
June 8, 1768.]
In pursuance of these sentiments George III., though he had every
necessary preparation made for the King of Denmark, showed no warmth in
welcoming him. He was holding a levee in St. James's Palace the very
hour that Christian arrived there, but instead of hastening to greet
him, he sent a formal message to the effect that he would receive him
at the Queen's House (now Buckingham Palace) at half-past five o'clock.
To the Queen's House, therefore, at the appointed hour Christian
repaired. George III.'s reception of his cousin and brother-in-law
was cold and formal, and immediately it was over he left London for
Richmond Lodge, where he remained in seclusion nearly the whole time of
the King of Denmark's stay in England.
Christian then went to Carlton House to pay his respects to his
mother-in-law. His reception there was less frigid, but far from
satisfactory. The Princess-Dowager of Wales could not help showing him
how anxious she was about her daughter. She overwhelmed her son-in-law
with inquiries concerning his wife's health, which wearied him greatly,
and he could not refrain from saying in an audible whisper to Holck,
"_Cette chère maman m'embête terriblement_". The Princess-Dowager
reopened the question of Madame de Plessen's dismissal, acting,
no doubt, at the request of Queen Matilda, and prayed the King to
reinstate her, as she was afraid for her daughter to be exposed to the
temptations of the court without a strict duenna. Christian, who was
visibly annoyed, said he would not oppose Madame de Plessen's return,
if the Princess-Dowager insisted upon it, but if she came back he and
the Queen must occupy separate palaces, as he was determined never to
have Madame de Plessen under his roof again. As this would involve a
virtual separation, the Princess-Dowager forebore to press the point
further. She reported her ill-success to Matilda, and begged her to
submit to the inevitable, and try to conciliate her husband. Now that
she saw what manner of man her son-in-law was, the Princess-Dowager
regretted the part she had played in bringing about this unhappy
marriage.
Ill-health and many sorrows had softened this stern Princess's heart;
life had not gone smoothly with her of late. The one friend in whom
she trusted, Lord Bute, had been driven from England by her implacable
enemies. Bute had taken office at the request of the Princess-Dowager,
and for her sake he had laid it down. The ostensible ground he gave for
his resignation was ill-health, the real one was a chivalrous desire to
check the flood of cowardly insult aimed through him at the second lady
in the land. The Princess-Dowager urged him not to make the sacrifice,
for she well knew it would be in vain, and she proved to be right. Bute
was still pursued with a relentless hatred, and his enemies were not
satisfied until they had driven him first from London and then out of
the country. Unable to withstand the storm any longer Bute went into
exile, and at the time when Christian VII. visited England, he was
wandering about Italy under the _incognito_ of Sir John Stewart. The
Princess-Dowager was much cast down by the loss of her friend, with
whom she could hardly correspond, without fear of her letters being
intercepted. Moreover, her sorrows were increased by the death of two
of her children (the once numerous family of Frederick Prince of Wales
was now reduced to five), and by the unsatisfactory conduct of her
two younger sons, the Dukes of Gloucester and Cumberland, who showed
tendencies (the latter especially) to folly and extravagance.
[Illustration: CARLTON HOUSE, PALL MALL, THE RESIDENCE OF THE
PRINCESS-DOWAGER OF WALES.
_From a Print, temp. 1765._]
The visit of her son-in-law, the King of Denmark, so far from
comforting her, only increased her anxiety. The more she saw of him the
more she disliked him. He was restive under her covert reproaches, and
at last entirely lost her good graces by his impertinence. The Princess
was telling fortunes by cards one evening with one of her ladies, to
whom Christian had given a diamond star. The King said to her: "_Chère
maman_, which King am I in your pasteboard court?" "Lady----," said the
Princess-Dowager archly, "calls you the King of Diamonds." "What do
you call Holck?" asked Christian. "Oh, by a more flattering title--the
King of Hearts." This nettled the King, who retorted: "And pray, _chère
maman_, what do you call Lord Bute--the Knave of Hearts?" This repartee
greatly discomposed the Princess-Dowager. She flushed crimson, and
gathered up the cards without a word.
Though Christian was so unwelcome at court, he was exceedingly well
received by all classes of the nation, who made him the hero of
the hour. The fact that the King disliked him rather increased his
popularity than otherwise. The King and Queen, in consequence of the
seclusion in which they lived, had little or no influence on society.
George III. preferred a quiet domestic life with his wife and children,
routs, balls and assemblies had no attractions for him. Therefore
London society, which loves the presence of royalty, hailed the King of
Denmark with delight. All the fine ladies were in love with him, all
the fine gentlemen sought the honour of his acquaintance, imitated his
dress and deportment, and even copied his eccentricities. The rumour of
his vices lent an additional piquancy. He was nicknamed "the Northern
Scamp," and the ladies invented a headdress in his honour, which was
known as the "Danish fly". "The King of Denmark," writes Whately to
George Grenville, "is the only topic of conversation. Wilkes himself is
forgotten, even by the populace."[95] The people cheered him wherever
he went, and the nobility vied with one another in giving him splendid
entertainments. First to have the honour of entertaining "the royal
Dane" was Lady Hertford, who gave a brilliant assembly at Hertford
House. Horace Walpole, who was present, writes:--
"I came to town to see the Danish King. He is as diminutive as if he
came out of a kernel in the Fairy Tales. He is not ill made, nor weakly
made, though so small; and, though his face is pale and delicate,
it is not at all ugly.... Still he has more royalty than folly in
his air, and, considering he is not twenty, is as well as any one
expects any king in a puppet show to be.... He only takes the title
of _Altesse_ (an absurd mezzo-termine), but acts king exceedingly;
struts in the circle, like a cock-sparrow, and does the honours of
himself very civilly."[96] And again: "He has the sublime strut of his
grandfather (George II.), and the divine white eyes of all his family
on the mother's side.... The mob adore and huzza him, and so they did
at the first instant. They now begin to know why, for he flings money
to them out of the window; and by the end of the week, I do not doubt
they will want to choose him for Middlesex. His court is extremely well
ordered, for they bow as low to him at every word as if his name were
Sultan Amurath. You would take his first minister for only the first
of his slaves.... There is indeed a pert young gentleman who a little
discomposes this august ceremonial; his name is Count Holck, his age
three-and-twenty; and his post answers to one that we had formerly in
England ages ago, called, in our tongue, a royal favourite."[97]
[95] _Grenville Papers_, vol. iv.
[96] Walpole's _Letters_, vol. v., edition 1857.
[97] _Ibid._
Lady Hertford's assembly was followed by a magnificent entertainment
at Syon House, given by the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. "An
inexpressible variety of emblematical devices was illuminated by
more than fifteen thousand lamps, and the temple erected in the inner
court was ornamented by transparent paintings, which had a very happy
effect."[98] A gala performance was also given at the opera, which was
attended by all the rank and fashion of the town, though the King and
Queen were absent. After the opera the King went to Mrs. Cornelys'
house in Soho Square (a sort of Assembly Rooms at that period). "Mrs.
Cornelys had put the apartments in all the possible order that a few
hours' notice would admit of, and the whole was splendidly illuminated
with upwards of two thousand wax lights. The moment the King entered
the grand room the music (consisting of French horns, clarinets,
bassoons, etc.) began playing, and his Majesty seemed very much pleased
at the agreeable manner of his reception. Dancing was proposed; the
King opened the ball with the Duchess of Ancaster, and named the second
minuet with the Countess of Harrington; the minuets were succeeded by
English country dances, and those by the French cotillons."[99]
[98] _The Annual Register_, 1768.
[99] _Ibid._
Christian's maternal aunt, the Princess Amelia, was indignant with
George III. for the way he ignored his royal guest, and she gave a
grand entertainment at Gunnersbury House in honour of her Danish
nephew. "The entertainment was extremely magnificent. Invitations were
given to upwards of 300 of the nobility. The supper consisted of 120
dishes; a grand fire-work was then played off; and the ball, which was
very splendid, ended about three o'clock on Saturday morning."[100]
The Duke of Gloucester was present, but the King and Queen did not
attend. The lovely Lady Talbot, who was much admired by Christian, was
the belle of the ball, and wore a diamond coronet worth £80,000. The
beautiful and lively Lady Bel Stanhope also created a sensation, and
Holck fell in love with her. It is said that he proposed marriage, but
Lady Bel, or her parents, would not hear of it. The Princess Amelia
declared herself to be very fond of her nephew, who, she said, reminded
her of her sister, Queen Louise, but she was distressed that he did not
get on better with his wife, and asked him why. "_Pourquoi?_" replied
Christian, "_Pourquoi?--elle est si blonde!_" Walpole has something to
say on this head too, for he tells us, "At the play of _The Provoked
Wife_, he (the King) clapped whenever there was a sentence against
matrimony--a very civil proceeding when his wife was an English
Princess".
[100] _The Annual Register_, 1768.
George III.'s neglect of the King of Denmark occasioned so much comment
that he at last reluctantly gave a ball in Christian's honour at
the Queen's House, at which the Princess-Dowager of Wales, the Duke
of Gloucester, and a great number of the nobility were present. The
Princess Amelia was not asked; the King owed her a grudge for the way
in which she had forced his hand in giving an entertainment to her
nephew--an example he was bound to follow. The King of Denmark opened
the ball with Queen Charlotte, and King George danced a minuet with the
Duchess of Ancaster, who seems to have been the greatest lady of the
day outside the royal family.
Christian VII. showed no hurry to quit a country where he was so well
received, and in September, when London was empty, he made several
tours in the provinces. It was a very wet summer, and the rains were
heavier than had been known in the memory of man. "The Serpentine river
in Hyde Park rose so high that it forced down a part of the wall, and
poured with such violence upon Knightsbridge, that the inhabitants
expected the whole town to be overflowed; the canal in St. James's Park
rose higher than ever was known; in short, no man living remembered so
much rain-fall in so short a time."[101] Several parts of the country
were flooded, and the high roads rendered impassable; travelling
by coach always slow, became slower still, and in some places was
attended with difficulty and even danger. But these things did not
daunt Christian, who rushed about the country, from one end to another,
stopping nowhere for any time, and apparently taking no interest in
anything he saw. Even the polite writer in the _Annual Register_, who
devoted pages to Christian's doings, was constrained to say: "His
journeyings are so rapid, and his stay at places so short, that, if
he is not a youth of more than common talents, he must have a very
confused idea of what he sees".
[101] _The Annual Register_, September 1, 1768.
Horace Walpole, who now pursued the King of Denmark with strange
malignity, writes: "You know already about the King of Denmark,
hurrying from one corner of England to the other, without seeing
anything distinctly, fatiguing himself, breaking his chaise, going
tired to bed in inns, and getting up to show himself to the mob at the
window. I believe that he is a very silly lad, but the mob adore him,
though he has neither done nor said anything worth repeating; but he
gives them an opportunity of getting together, of staring and of making
foolish observations."[102] Bernstorff excused the King's indifference
on the ground that he was short-sighted. This also served to explain
many apparent discourtesies, for Christian often ignored people to whom
he had been most gracious a few days before. It is probable that Horace
Walpole was one of the victims of this little peculiarity, and that
accounts for the venom with which he writes of the King. Christian may
also have ignored Walpole's niece, Lady Waldegrave, who had secretly
married the Duke of Gloucester, and who, though the marriage was not
declared, already gave herself the airs of a princess of the blood.
[102] Walpole's _Letters_, vol. v., edition 1857.
Christian's first excursion was to York. Attended by a retinue of a
hundred and twenty persons he set out from London, and, in passing,
visited Cambridge. The Vice-Chancellor, the heads of houses, the
doctors, professors, proctors and other officials of the university,
clad in their scarlet robes, received the King at the entrance of the
senate house, and conducted him to a chair of state, where an address
was presented to him. The King was invited to a public luncheon, but
he excused himself, and asked the Vice-Chancellor to supper with him
at his inn. Christian shirked all ceremony, and saw the sights of
Cambridge in his riding coat and boots. At York the Corporation made
every preparation to entertain him in a splendid manner, but the King
declined all formalities, saw the races, visited the Minster and other
public buildings, and the next day set out on his return journey to
London, going round by way of Liverpool and Manchester, "where he was
particularly gratified by viewing the stupendous works of the Duke of
Bridgewater, at which he expressed both astonishment and pleasure".
A few days after the Danish King's return to London he again set forth
on a visit to Oxford. He was received in state by the Vice-Chancellor
and officials of the university, and in full convocation had the
degree of Doctor of Civil Law conferred upon him. Bernstorff, Holck
and other members of the Danish suite also received honorary degrees,
and Struensee had conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Medicine.
After Oxford the King visited several places, and was perpetually on
the road. When he was at Newmarket for the races the Vice-Chancellor of
Cambridge waited on him, and in the name of the university presented
an address, and graces for conferring the same degree upon the King
and his nobles as they had received at Oxford.
The grandest entertainment provided for Christian was his state visit
to the City of London. The Lord Mayor with the aldermen and sheriffs,
all in their robes, set out in coaches from the Guildhall for the
Three Cranes, where they embarked at eleven o'clock in the morning
on board the city state barge, "the streamers flying, a select band
of water-music playing, and the principal livery companies attending
in their respective barges," to Westminster, where they awaited the
arrival of Christian from St. James's Palace. The King came punctually,
and as he set foot on the city barge a royal salute was fired, and
loud cheers rent the air from the vast crowds of people who lined the
banks on either side, thronged the bridges, and crowded the river on
innumerable craft. The procession glided down the Thames to the Temple
Stairs. "During the course of this grand passage on the water his
Majesty frequently expressed himself highly pleased, and his admiration
of the several great and beautiful objects round him; and sometimes
condescended to come forward in order to gratify the curiosity of the
people, who eagerly fought to get a sight of his royal person, though
at the hazard of their lives."[103] Arrived at the Temple Stairs the
King landed, took his seat in the Lord Mayor's coach, and proceeded
to the Mansion House. The streets through which he passed were gaily
decorated, and crowded "with an innumerable populace, while the windows
and tops of houses were equally crowded with spectators of both sexes,
whose acclamations, together with the ringing of bells, and the shouts
of the multitude, loudly expressed their joy at his Majesty's presence;
his Majesty expressed his surprise at the populousness of this city,
and his satisfaction at the kindness of the citizens".[104]
[103] _The Annual Register._
[104] _Ibid._
Arrived at the Mansion House an address was read to the King by the
City Recorder. Curiously no direct mention was made of Queen Matilda,
but we take from it one passage to show the gross and servile flattery
which characterised the whole effusion. "The many endearing ties which
happily connect you, Sir, with our most gracious Sovereign, justly
entitle you to the respect and veneration of all his Majesty's faithful
subjects; but your affability and other princely virtues, so eminently
displayed during the whole course of your residence among us, have in
a particular manner charmed the citizens of London, who reflect with
admiration on your early and uncommon thirst for knowledge, and your
indefatigable pursuit of it by travel and observation, the happy fruits
of which they doubt not will be long employed and acknowledged within
the whole extent of your influence and command." Christian returned a
suitable reply in Danish, and, "upon notice that the dinner was served,
his Majesty was conducted into the Egyptian Hall, where his Majesty
condescended to proceed quite round, that the ladies (who made a most
brilliant appearance in the galleries) might have a full view of his
royal person". The banquet was a Gargantuan one, and took four hours
to work through. Several toasts were drunk to the sound of a trumpet,
but, at the King's request, without speeches. In addition to the usual
loyal toasts, were added those of the King of Denmark and Norway and
his Consort, Queen Matilda. The King himself proposed two toasts,
"Prosperity to the British Nation," and "Prosperity to the City of
London".[105]
[105] _The Annual Register._
At eight o'clock his Majesty took his leave, the City Fathers going
before him to his coach bearing wax lights. The King returned to St.
James's Palace through crowded streets, brilliantly illuminated in his
honour. The whole visit was a remarkable tribute to his undeserved
popularity. Truly there must be some strange glamour around the name
of king, when a prince like this, who had never said or done anything
worth recording, and a great deal which was quite unfit to be recorded,
received from the greatest city in the world an ovation which could not
be surpassed if he had been one of the world's greatest heroes.
Moreover, the King of Denmark was pursuing in London the same
scandalous amusements as those which had revolted his subjects in
Copenhagen. Incredible though it may seem, night after night he and
his favourite, Holck, disguised as sailors, would pass hours drinking
and frolicking in the stews and pot-houses of St. Giles'. These
adventures generally began after midnight. Christian would leave some
splendid entertainment given in his honour by the proudest of the
English nobility, and hurrying back to St. James's would change his
clothes, and start out again to seek distraction in the lowest forms
of dissipation. These extraordinary predilections were perfectly
well known to many people of rank and fashion, and the knowledge
filtered down to the mob, who cheered the Danish King whithersoever
he went. Perhaps they lent, such was the depravity of the age, an
additional zest to the cheers. Even Queen Matilda, left behind in
far-off Denmark, heard from London of her husband's transgressions. It
is said that she wrote to her aunt, the Princess Amelia: "I wish the
King's travels had the same laudable object as those of Cyrus, but I
hear that his Majesty's chief companions are musicians, fiddlers, and
persons designed for inglorious employments. What a wretched levee!
And his evening amusements are said to be still more disgraceful. His
delicacy and sentiment cannot be supposed to dignify these fleeting
gratifications. If I had not experienced his fickleness and levity at
home, I could not have heard, without emotion and disquietude, of his
infidelities abroad."[106]
[106] _Memoirs of an Unfortunate Queen._
Having said this much in condemnation of Christian VII. in England,
it is only fair to turn the other side of the shield, and record one
or two anecdotes of him which may have accounted, to some extent, for
his undoubted popularity. One day he saw a poor tradesman seized in
his shop by two bailiffs, who thrust him into a hackney coach, despite
the lamentations of his weeping wife and family, and drove off to the
Marshalsea. The King commanded Count Moltke to follow the coach and
find out all particulars. Moltke reported that the unlucky man had
contracted a debt in the course of his business, and had been charged
exorbitant interest. The King paid the debt, set the man free from
prison, and gave him five hundred dollars to start anew. This was only
one instance of several exhibitions of generosity, for he gave away
considerable sums to liberate poor debtors from the Marshalsea and
Fleet. Christian had also a habit of scattering money among the crowd,
which would account for many cheers--though money was scarce in Denmark
its King had always plenty to throw away on his travels.
One day when Christian stepped out of his coach to enter St. James's
Palace, a fine buxom girl, who formed one of the little crowd that
always assembled to witness the King's goings out and comings in, burst
through the line, caught the King in her arms, and, fairly lifting him
off the ground, kissed him heartily. "Now," said she, "kill me if you
like, I shall die happy, for I have kissed the prettiest fellow in the
world." Christian, far from being offended, was delighted with this
tribute to his charms. He gave the girl a crown and ran laughing up
the stairs. But after this incident it was necessary to have a double
line of attendants, as other maidens might have been tempted to repeat
the experiment, for the King, though so small, was much admired by the
ladies of all classes. He was fond of dining in public at St. James's,
that is to say, he sat at a table in the middle of the room, and the
general public, chiefly women, were admitted to a space at one end,
shut off by a rail, whence they could see "the Northern Scamp" eat his
dinner. Powdered, painted, patched, perfumed, richly dressed in silk,
velvet and lace, and besprinkled with jewels, Christian looked like a
Dresden china figure. The men said he resembled a girl dressed in a
man's clothes, but the women adored him.
Six weeks had passed since the King of Denmark's arrival in England,
yet he showed no inclination to depart. But the King of England, who
had to bear the cost of his maintenance, thought that it was high time
for him to return to his Queen and country. Other hints proving vain,
George III. invited his royal guest to what he pointedly called a
"farewell entertainment" at Richmond Lodge, on September 26. "A most
elegant structure," we read, "was erected, in the centre of which
was a large triumphal arch, about forty feet high, of the Grecian
order, decorated with figures, trophies and other embellishments." The
entertainment was equal to the magnificence of the structure, and the
fireworks were the finest ever exhibited in England. The road from St.
James's Palace to Richmond Lodge, along which Christian passed, was
illuminated by upwards of fifteen thousand Italian lamps.
The Danish King accepted this "farewell entertainment," but still
showed no signs of saying farewell. The Princess-Dowager of Wales,
therefore, by way of speeding the parting guest, gave a supper party
on October 1, to bid him good-bye. It consisted of three tables, one
for their Majesties and the Princess-Dowager, a second for the King
of Denmark and fifty of the nobility, and a third for the Prince of
Wales (afterwards George IV., then a boy of six years old) and his
attendants. The supper party accomplished the object for which it
was given, and Christian VII. named the much-wished-for day of his
departure, which, however, was not for another fortnight.
On October 10 the King of Denmark gave a masquerade ball to his English
friends, who had entertained him so lavishly. The ball took place at
the Opera House in the Haymarket, and two thousand five hundred guests
responded to the "royal Dane's" invitation. Queen Charlotte did not
appear, she did not approve of masquerades; her virtuous husband also
did not approve of them, but could not resist the temptation of being
present, though he compromised with his conscience by peeping at the
gay scene from a private box, behind transparent shutters. The Princess
Amelia, who was old and infirm, witnessed the revels from another box,
where she sat the whole evening masked. The scene was one of great
brilliancy, and the value of the jewels worn on this occasion was
estimated at upwards of £2,000,000. The company must have been rather
mixed, and a good many people lost articles of jewellery, which they
never recovered. The following account of the ball is taken from the
_Gentleman's Magazine_:--
[Illustration: THE MASKED BALL GIVEN BY CHRISTIAN VII. AT THE OPERA
HOUSE, HAYMARKET.
_From the "Gentleman's Magazine," 1768._]
"His Danish Majesty came in, masked, between ten and eleven o'clock,
dressed in a domino of gold and silver stuff, a black hat and white
feather, walked about with great good nature and pleasantry until
twelve, then withdrew with a select company to supper and appeared
no more.... The Duke of Cumberland was in a crimson domino, trimmed
with gold, black hat and white feather. The Duke of Gloucester in a
purple domino, white hat and white feather. Her Grace the Duchess
of Northumberland appeared in the character of Rembrandt's wife, in
a close black gown trimmed with gold, a rounded coif, a short apron
tucked up, and a painter's brush in her hand. Lady Bel Stanhope and her
sister represented pilgrims in brown gowns with blue sashes trimmed
with silver, and small hats laced round with diamonds. The Countess
of Harrington and the two young ladies, her daughters, were extremely
simple in their appearance, but at the same time extremely elegant....
His Grace the Duke of Northumberland was in a Persian habit, with a
fine turban richly ornamented with diamonds. Lord Grosvenor was in a
splendid suit of the Turkish fashion. The Duchess of Ancaster, in the
character of a Sultana, was universally admired; her robe was purple
satin bordered with ermine, and fluttered on the ground so much in the
style of Eastern magnificence that we were transported in fancy to
the palaces of Constantinople.... Many of the most superb, as well as
the best fancied dresses in the whole assembly were those of eminent
citizens, or those who had acquired their fortunes by trade."
Another account says: "The principal grotesque characters were the
conjurer, the black, and the old woman. There was also a Methodist
preacher, a chimney sweeper, with his bag, shovel and scraper, and a
boar with a bull's head, all of which were supported with great good
humour."[107]
[107] _The Annual Register._
Two days after the masquerade the King of Denmark held a levee at St.
James's Palace, at which a large company attended to take leave of him.
The following day he went to Queen's House to say farewell to the King
and Queen, and to Carlton House to wish the Princess-Dowager good-bye.
Christian made several valuable presents before his departure, but the
most notable was a gold box studded with diamonds which he gave to
Garrick, the great actor, and begged him to receive it as a small token
of the regard he had for his genius.
The King of Denmark posted to Dover on October 15, and on his way
thither he broke the journey at Chatham and went up the Medway on
H.M.S. _Victory_, and inspected the British fleet. It chanced that
the young officer who commanded the _Victory_ was Gambier, who forty
years later, in 1807, was the Admiral commanding the English fleet
that bombarded Copenhagen. The following day the King of Denmark left
England, after a stay of more than two months, and sailed for France.
* * * * *
Christian VII. went to Paris where he remained for some time as the
guest of the French King, Louis XV. It would not be germane to this
history to give a detailed account of the King of Denmark's experiences
in Paris. He was splendidly entertained by the King and the French
nobility, and welcomed on all his public appearances with enthusiasm.
His private amusements were of the same nature as those he had followed
in London. If it had been possible to corrupt Christian's morals more
than they were corrupted his experiences in Paris would have done it.
France was then slowly going down the steps that led to the revolution.
The heartlessness, extravagance and immorality of the nobility stood
in fearful contrast to the brutality, misery and ignorance of the
people. Already could be heard the mutterings of the coming storm,
but the Danish King had no eyes to see, nor ears to hear, nor mind to
understand anything beyond the amusements of the passing hour.