The National tribune., 1908-08-20


vened between the final mental collapse
of old King George III. and the aces
sion to the throne of England of his
son, the Regent, as George ~, the
sprightly ladies and gallant cavaliers
who hung about the court We'd with
each other in retailing the choice bits
of scandal which filled the air at that
time. A certain Lady Charlotte Bury
one of the famous beauties of that
period, and who was lady in waiting
to the unfortunate wife of the Regent
Caroline, Princess of Wales, in the lat
er years of her life wrote a book, or,
rather, published the diary which she
had kept while in the service of this
lady. 1t was an exceedingly indiscreet
diary, as such a feminine outpouring is
apt to be, and made a tremendous SEN
sation when it appeared, for Lady Char
lotte called a spade a spade, and did
not mince matters even when speaking
of royalty itself. A new edition of that
book has just been published, and from
its cosby pages, for in spite of the
reputation Samuel Pepys won as a sue
cessful gossip, no one but woman can
really handle these delicate matters
with true skill, many highly entertaining
bits of information are CLEANED con-
corning the manners, habits of thought,
and particularly the morals of the fam
GUS people of the Regency days.
The diary, of course, deals principally
with Princess Caroline, afterward Queen
Of England, whose marital woes awak-
ened in her beautiful lady in waiting a
profound and tender sympathy. George
~, 1t will be remembered, was an ex-
ceedingly good-looking young man, but
one given up entirely to life of sensual
excitement. He was false as well as Ii
centious, and such an inveterate liar
that no one ever pretended to believe
what he said. In manner he was gra-
cious, and he could compliment pretty
woman in graceful phrase, but in all
the qualities which go to make up a
strong and estimable character he was
utterly lacking. His manner Of life
led to enormous debts, and these his
royal father, when a crisis was reached,
consented to pay only under the condi-
ton that he would marry Caroline of
Brunswick. The Prince was already as
deeply in love with Mrs. Fitzherbert as
a man of his selfish and weak nature
could be. and he tried in every way to
get cut of this distasteful alliance, but
his creditors rendered his life most
uncomfortable, his father was inexor-
able, and so the marriage took place.
Caroline seems to have been a rather
friyolous-minded lady herself, and did
not particularly relish the role of I'M
loved and neglected wife, for the Prince,
her husband, made no bones of plainly
showing his lack of affection for her,
30 she consoled herself by flippant and
Light behavior, which led to consider
able unfayorable comment. The two
got along badly, and soon after the
birth of their only child, the poor little
Princess Charlotte, they were formally
separated. When the Regent became
King in 1920 one of-the first things he
did was to order that no prayer book
should contain any prayer for his wife
as Queen. Caroline was on the conti-
nent at the time, and came hurrying
back to London when the news of this
reached her. For two years previous
to his accession George had been trying
to get Sufficient evidence of his wife's
immortality to divorce her and deprive
her of her royal title. lie had had her
followed around from place to place by
spies, had sent commissioners to Milan
to investigate charges against her, and
a report had finally been made out and
presented to Parliament on which the
Prime Minister had founded a bill of
pains and penalties designed to bring
about the result desired by the King
The bill after three readings, with a
diminished majority in its favor each
time, was finally abandoned by the Gov
eminent, and Queen Caroline's charac-
ter completely cleared of the charge
brought against her. Public opinion,
without going too deeply into the ques-
q ton of the guilt or innocence of the
Queen, generally sided with her, aroused
to Indignation by the spectacle of a
= man of George Tvs VIGOROUSLY i'm
moral life bringing such a charge
against the wife whom he had thrust
out into the world to fight the battle of
life alone. He persistentiy refused to
recognize her as Queen, and when on
the occasion Of his coronation she at
tempted to force her way INTO West
minister Abbey to take her place in the
ceremonies popular support failed her,
and her unhappy life was soon after
brought to close, unable to sustain
Itself after this last public disgrace.
Lady Charlotte's diary tells how Prin-
cess Caroline, during the Regency,
would entertain her ladies in waiting
after dinner by making figure in wax
with great horns intended as an effigy
Of her husband. into which she would
savagely stick three pins taken from
her dress, and, after prodding it 20 her
hearts content, throw 1t into the fire to
-Eizzle and melt before their eyes. It
seemed TO give this royal lady, with her
japanese ideas of punishment an in
tense satisfaction to go thru this enter
tanning and amusing performance, as
IL she were in some way making the
Prince suffer by this childish evidence
II her hatred of him. On another oc-
sasion, when writing to some friend,
Ihe Princess said: THE only news that
can offer you is that the Regent is
dangerously Ill; still / am not sanguine
enough to fiatter myself that the period
20 all my troubles and misfortunes has
tome. Yet one must hope for the best"
which certainly leaves no doubt what
tver as to the feelings she entertained
Tor the man soon to become the King
Of England. Our cosby raconteurse
lells us of a visit paid the Princess on
her birthday by her brother, the Duke
Of Brunswick. Her Royal Highness was
30 Lady Charlotte says, very injudi-
eiously attired, being simply wrapped In
} pink dressing gown" and around her
were some women whose tiresome con-
yersation appeared to be boring her
extremely. The Duke of Brunswick en-
Tered the apartment, and after paying
his sister some empty compliments, pre-
ssented her with ring of no value, and
q good deal OF piquancy is given this
= ordinary incident by the quiet but tell
Ing remark made by Lady Charlotte, in
parenthesis, referring to it: ON. B.
All these Princes and Princesses give
Shabby presents" The high-spirited
Inflated girl, Princess Charlotte, the
only child of this unhappy marriage
had, SO the writer of the diary tells us
very pretty feet and ankles and wore
Exceedingly short petticoats, not wish.
Ing to deprive the world of so attractive
a sight, so the court gossips said. Ii
speaking of her father and mother in
after years, the pathetic youth of the
Princess was revealed in her sad words
My mother was wicked, but she would
not have turned so wicked had not m,