The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-01-31
a Royal Romance.

As old King George the Second was
taking the air Of Kensington Gardens one
fine summer morning in the middle OF the
last century, a. little girl OF some years,
who was walking with her sisters and the
Swiss nurse, broke away from the party,
skipped up TO the King, dropped cour-
tesy, and greeted him with the remark
Comment vous porteZ-vous, NJ. lie TolE
Vous avez lei une grande et belle ma
son, n'est-ce pas? The old King, familiar
and perhaps bored with the pomp and
etiquette of his usual relations with MS
subjects, was pleased beyond measure AZ
the originality of this introduction He
took notice of the little child, often had
her to visit him at the palace Afterwards,
even rOmped with her. and put her in a
large china jar, where, instead OF show
ing fright, she sang. Malbrouck en-
va-t-en guerre' at him from under the
lid. The little lady was Lady Sarah
LennoX; and as daughter OF the Duke OF
Richmond, a great officer OF the court,
she and her sisters had the privilege or
being IN the gardens 10 see the royal
promenade. II was the prettiest en-
trance imaginable 10 the great world
where this young lady was destined for
a time to play a great part. Ten or a
dozen years later all fashionable London
was agog with excitement, wrote let
tiers, reported every movement and every
rumor of Lady Sarah, for IL was the
question of I76l whether she was or was
not 10 become the Queen Of England.
In 7E5s Lady Sarah entered London So
cjety, and returned to the care Of Harry
Fox and his wife at Holland House, tai
beautiful, shy girl of IA Two years
later the town was in raptures, in fact,
and all the young mer were making
Sleeps eyes at the beauty Of 1s. There
was my Lord Carlisle; my Lord Enrol,
whom she refused; my Lord Newbottle,
with whom she fiirted desperately; Mr..
Thomas Bunbury, whom she afterwards
married; and no doubt score of others
whose names are not recorded. Last Of
all, there was the Prince of Wales, now
become George the Third of England.
who was willing victim. He saw Lady
Sarah often. There was no Irritation
here; the King was in deadly earnest.
There was no stupid royal marriage act
in force; this the King, perhaps in the
light Of his own experience thoughtfuIly
provided for his relations when they be-
gan TO marry into Harry Walpole's fam
lily But at present the King knew his
own mind; and there is no doubt that,
if Lady Sarah had known hers. she might
have ascended the throne in 1851 as
Queen of Great Britain and Ireland.
Shortly afterwards Lady Sarah went
into Somersetshire, rode out. fell with
her horse, and featured her leg. The
faithess Newbottle made some unfeeling
remark when told of the accident. The
faithful King was all solictude for the
suffering young beauty. The young girl
at last, perhaps, knew her own mind, but
it was too late. There was more in the
rumor of the Princess from Mecklen-
burg than Fox thought. 1t was all over;
there was no doubt it at all. The King
summoned the council to announce the
marriage, and Lord Harcourt went over
for the Princess, and the little self-pos-
sessed lady came across the channel TO
Harwich, and was not seasick for above
half an hour. but sang and played on the
harpsichord nearly all the way. Poor
Lady Sarah,-and her troubles were not
over yet, either. The King selected her
as one of the bridesmaids, "all beautiful
figures" says Mr.. Walpole. but with
neither features nor air; Lady Sarah was
by far the chief angel" The marriage
did not take place till 10 at night. There
was the pretty bridesmaids, with Lady
Sarah at their head, all in a row; and the
King had more eyes for Lady Sarah than
LOT MS DrluS ali through the ceremony.
When it was over, up comes my Lord
Westmoreland, the old Jacobite, who has
hardly any eyes at all, mistakes Lady
Sarah for the Queen, drops on one knee,
and takes her hand to kiss It; Lady
Sarah has to draw back with a blush.
and cry, I am ont the Queen, sir" and
George Selwyn utters that bitter jest:
You know, ne always loved Pretenders."
Did ever romance end in such embar-
rassment for a poor young girl of 16?-
Cornhill Ma gazine.