Richmond. But it was always the King and Queen and the Princes and Princesses who went; not father and mother and sons and daughters. George was always a stickler for etiquette, even in the home circle.

"A good woman, a good wife, a tender mother, and an unmeddling Queen," Lord Chesterfield wrote of her; but Leigh Hunt, less courtier-like, wrote her down as a plain, penurious, soft-spoken, decorous, bigoted, shrewd, overweening personage." She was jealous of the King's family, and when his sister, the Duchess of Brunswick, visited England she provided for her accommodation “ a miserable little house in Pall Mall," and was careful that the Duchess should never see her brother alone. Friends Charlotte had none; but by her harshness, she created many enemies.

As the children grew up the Queen's troubles increased. The boys, without exception, were wild-a not unnatural reaction to the hard discipline to which they had been subjected. George, Prince of Wales, was, in his earlier years, her favourite; Frederick, Duke of York, the best beloved of the King; but, once they were given their own establishments, they rarely went to Court except on ceremonial occasions. Nor, when they married, was there anything approaching intimacy between their Princesses and the King and Queen. Charlotte's attitude towards the Princess of Wales. which will presently be set out, was especially scandalous

The affection of the Queen for her eldest son scarcely survived the struggle for the Regency. In 1765 she had been appointed, with a Council, to execute the necessary functions of the provisional government, now in 1788 she expected the same treatment. This was foolish, because in 1765 the Prince of Wales was an infant, and now he was six-and-twenty, an age when

by law he was regarded as capable of administering the realm over which, in the ordinary course of nature, he would one day reign. The care of the King's person was entrusted to Charlotte, but she wanted a share in the government of the country, and this was denied her. There were scenes between the Prince of Wales in which she behaved violently. "To my extreme astonishment," His Royal Highness remarked subsequently," she condescended to a species of warmth of reproaches into which nothing could have surprised or betrayed Her Majesty but a degree of passion which I had never witnessed or believed before to exist in Her Majesty." The Duke of York, who was present on one of these occasions, was actually moved to say to his mother, "I believe, Madam, you are as much deranged as the King." Probably Charlotte realised that, if the Prince of Wales became Regent, she would, to all intents and purposes, be shelved for the rest of her life-a prospect naturally not at all to her liking, and one against which she struggled with all the forces at her command. "She is playing the devil, and has all this time been at the bottom of the cabals and intrigues against the Prince," Sir Gilbert Elliot wrote. "It is believed that she was ready to accept the Regency, if the Prince has been advised to refuse it." When the King became permanently deranged in 1810, of course the trouble with the Queen did not arise again.

As the years passed, less and less was heard of the Queen, who sunk deeper and deeper into seclusion at the Palace at Kew, where her death, in 1818, passed almost unnoticed.

CHAPTER II

LADY SARAH LENNOX (1745-1826)

A rival to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz-George II charmed by Lady Sarah Lennox-Lady Sarah at Court attracts the attention of the Prince of Wales-Her beauty and charm-The Prince, on his accession to the throne, wishes to marry her-A conversation-Lady Sarah's flirtation with Lord Newbattle-The King expresses his wish to herHis engagement to Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz announced-Lady Sarah unconcerned-A bridesmaid at the royal wedding-She marries William Bunbury-Her elopement with Lord William Gordon-Divorce-She marries the Hon. George NapierHer famous sons-Death-Lady Sarah and the King.

THERE was at one time a serious rival to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz for the high position of Consort of George III.

This was Lady Sarah Lennox, youngest daughter of Charles, second Duke of Richmond, and a granddaughter of Charles II by Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth. She had attracted the attention of George II in 1750, when she was five years old, by walking up to him in Kensington Gardens, and saying, "Comment vous portez-vous, Monsieur le roi? Vous avez une grande et belle maison ici, n'est-ce pas ?" The King was charmed with her, and she was often sent for to come to him at the Palace. She went to Ireland for some years, but, at the age of thirteen, she returned to London when she stayed with her eldest sister, Lady Georgiana Caroline, who in 1744 had secretly married Henry Fox In 1762 Lady Georgiana Caroline was created a peeress in her own right; a year later her husband was created Baron Holland of Foxley, Wiltshire. She was the mother of Charles James Fox.

Lady Sarah went again to Court on her return to London, and now it was the Prince of Wales who was much attracted by her looks and fascinated by her charm. At the age of fifteen she was already lovely. "Her beauty if not easily described, otherwise than by saying she had the finest complexion, most beautiful hair, and prettyest person that ever was seen, with a sprightly air, a pretty mouth, and remarkably fine teeth, and excess of bloom in her cheeks, little eyes-but this is not describing her, for her great beauty was a peculiarity of countenance, that made her at the same time different from and prettyer than any other girl I ever saw." So wrote Henry Fox; and Horace Walpole, writing to George Montagu in 1761, entirely endorsed this opinion: There was a play at Holland House acted by children, not all children; for Lady Sarah Lennox and Lady Susan Fox-Strangways played the women. It was Jane Shore. Charles Fox was Hastings. . . The two girls were delightful, and acted with so much nature that they appeared the very things they represented. Lady Sarah was more beautiful than you can conceive; her very awkwardness gave an air of truth to the sham of the part, and the antiquity of the time kept up by the dress, which was taken out of Montfaucon. Lady Susan was dressed from Jane Seymour. I was more struck with the last scene between the two women than ever I was when I have seen it on the stage. 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."

The Prince of Wales became more and more infatuated with Lady Sarah, and after his accession began seriously

'The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to The Life and Letters of Lady Sarah Lennox. Edited by the Countess of Ilchester and Lord Stavordale. (John Murray, 1901.)

crown.

to consider whether he should not invite her to share his His mother, the Queen Dowager, and Lord Bute were, of course, entirely against this, as it would first undermine and probably in the end destroy their influence with him. Henry Fox, naturally enough, was all in favour of such an alliance, though he was astute enough not openly to take any part in promoting it. Indeed, leaving Lady Sarah with his wife at Holland House, he paid frequent visits to his Thanet home. Though Fox went himself to bathe in the sea, and possibly even to disguise his intrigues," wrote Walpole, who saw through the ruse, "he left Lady Sarah at Holland House, where she appeared in a field close to the great road (where the King passed on horseback) in a fancy habit making hay."

George, much in love as he was, proceeded warily. Instead of speaking direct with Lady Sarah on the matter he had at heart, he talked with her friend, Lady Susan Fox-Strangways (eldest daughter of Stephen, first Earl of Ilchester). The conversation has been recorded by Henry Fox:

"KING: You are going into Somersetshire; when do you return? '

"LADY SUSAN: 'Not before winter, Sir, and I don't know how soon in winter.'

"KING: Is there nothing will bring you back to town before winter? '

'LADY SUSAN'I don't know of anything.'

'KING: 'Would not you like to see a coronation? ' "LADY SUSAN: Yes, Sir. I hope I should come to see that.'

"KING: I hear it's very popular, my having put it off.'