Nelson talked with a firmness which was infectious.

William grew to love the Captain, and his happiest days at sea were when he was under his command.

In due course William received his commission. This had meant passing an examination before the Board of Admiralty and the King announced beforehand that there were to be no special concessions for his son. However, no one on the board had the slightest intention of declaring the Prince unfit to receive a commission in the Navy and Lord Howe reported to the King that Prince William was a true sailor, and he became third lieutenant on the frigate Hebe.

The King declared himself pleased with William’s progress and as soon as he had passed the Board sent for him to come to Windsor to spend a few days with the family before taking up his new position.

George, who had now acquired Carlton House and his independence, insisted that William join a breakfast party at his town residence and it was certainly pleasant to be his magnificent brother’s guest of honour. The sojourn at Windsor was not so pleasant, being excessively dull; however, that meant that he was glad when the time came to set off for Portsmouth.

Hebe toured the British Isles calling at various ports in Scotland and Ireland; and in a short time William had become second lieutenant; and in less than a year he was made a captain and given the command of the Pegasus which he took to Canada and afterwards to the West Indies. It was in Antigua that he found Nelson who was the commanding officer on the Leeward Island Station, which meant that the Captain of Pegasus was under his command.

Nothing could have delighted William more, and he was determined that Nelson should have nothing of which to complain in his command of Pegasus.

William began to grow more serious under Nelson’s influence; he learned of the reforms Nelson was seeking to introduce; and they had many discussions about ships and the sea.

William regarded Nelson as his greatest friend, and the most brilliant sailor it had ever been his good fortune to meet. He did not think so much of Nelson as a lover, however, and he told him so; for Nelson had met the widow of a physician who was serious, intelligent and delightful in every way and was considering marrying her.

The Prince wanted to hear all about Mrs Nisbet and would laugh at the calm and judicious manner in which Nelson described her.

‘My dear Horatio,’ he said, ‘you talk more like a man who is married than a man who is about to be.’

‘And what does Your Highness mean by that!’

‘That you show more enthusiasm for reforms in the Navy, seem more enthusiastic about tackling an enemy than marrying this lady.’

‘It is a different matter.’

‘Oh, you don’t deceive me. You are married already. Only a married man could be so calm.’

‘As Your Highness has never married…’

‘I know what you are going to say. How could I be sure? But I am sure. I have never married because I’m my father’s son. Many times I have been on the point of marrying but have been unable to because of the Marriage Act.’

‘Then perhaps we should be thankful for the Marriage Act.’

William laughed. ‘Oh, I doubt not that had I married I should have settled down happily enough. Happily enough… yes… as you are now, my dear Horatio. Calm, contented but not ecstatic. That is why I say you are more like a man who is already married than one who is about to be.’

Nelson laughed at his friend which was because, said William, Horatio knew more of the sea than the ways of women.

‘Nonsense,’ retorted Nelson. ‘I am morally certain that Frances Nisbet will make me a happy man for the rest of my life.’

‘Spoken like a married man,’ mocked William. ‘And I tell you this: I shall insist on giving the bride away when the occasion arises.’

‘We will take you at your word,’ replied Nelson.

On a March day in the year 1787 Nelson was married and, true to his word, William gave the bride away. William was twenty-two, a little envious of the young Captain who could marry as he wished and did not have to suffer the restrictions put on princes.

Frances Nisbet – now Nelson – was a charming woman and he hoped his dear friend would be happy. He realized that serving under him had been the most rewarding period of his life. He had come to idolize the Captain and to feel differently about him than he had about anyone else in his life. He marvelled at Nelson’s genius as a commander coupled with his care for his men. He considered the welfare of the lowest rating. ‘How can you have an efficient ship if the men are not as well and happy as you can make them?’ He had asked. ‘Discipline yes, but a discipline the men can accept as justice. Then you’ll have no need to enforce it.’ Although they had visited pestilential ports they never lost a man through disease, which was due to Nelson’s rigorous rules on hygiene which, because he explained them in detail to his men, they accepted.

No one had had such an influence on his life as Horatio Nelson.

That was why when Horatio and his bride sailed for England and William received orders to sail for Jamaica he had never before felt so depressed.

With Nelson gone and orders to report to the nearest commanding officer William was suddenly in revolt.

Why should he be ordered here, there and everywhere and have no say in his own actions? It was bad enough not to be able to marry where he would. Every common sailor had that right. He wanted to be home. He wanted to see his brother George and discuss his situation with him. George was the most sympathetic person in the world for while William was fond of and greatly admired Nelson, the sailor had rigid ideas of duty which the Prince of Wales lacked. George knew how to get what he wanted from life. He had captured Maria Fitzherbert and was extremely happy with her. Everybody seemed to be able to do what they wanted except William.

On impulse, instead of obeying orders and reporting to the nearest ship, he set sail for Halifax.

Here he was received with dismay and when he could give no satisfactory explanation of his arrival there when he was expected in Jamaica was sent to Quebec there to remain for the winter.

This was not what he wanted and still in rebellious mood he set sail for England.

When his unexpected arrival was reported to the First Lord of the Admiralty a message was sent to the King without delay telling him of William’s action.

The King heard the news in horror. He went to the Queen; he was confiding in her more than he ever had and the reason was that he was sometimes afraid of talking to his ministers because he was apt to lose the thread of what he was talking about and ramble on vaguely of other matters.

The Queen had noticed disturbing signs during the last months and she was worrying more about the King than ever.

There were rumours about George and Maria Fitzherbert and the question of whether or not they were married was being raised everywhere. Frederick was home from the Continent and no sooner had he returned than George had grown more wild than he had been recently, for the influence of Mrs Fitzherbert had been a good one and for a time he had appeared to live a quiet and domestic life with her; but with the return of Frederick there had been wild parties, practical jokes, drinking and gambling – the sort of activities to set the King worrying.

And now William. She had thought William had settled down; he had had his wild moments, of course, and had at times been uncomfortably involved with women. She remembered a time when he had deserted his ship to come home and tell her that he had fallen in love with a young woman in Portsmouth – was it Portsmouth? some such place! – and pleaded with her to intercede with his father to allow him to marry this young woman. The King had quickly had William transferred to Plymouth, she believed. The places were unimportant. It had only been necessary to remove him from the young woman.

Now here he was back again, disobeying orders, having forgotten that lesson which they had once believed that he had learned so well – that as a sailor he was no different from any other man.

What a trial the boys were! She would make sure – and so would the King – that the girls did not give their parents the same sort of trouble.

‘You hear this. You hear this?’ demanded the King. ‘The young fool. Deserted his ship. Come home… without permission. What next, eh, what?’

‘Where is he?’ asked the Queen fearfully.

‘In Cork Harbour. He’s to sail to Plymouth without delay. Young jackanapes. What does he think, eh? Who does he think…? Sons! Who’d have them? Fred’s the best of the bunch. Hope of the house. As for George…’ The King’s face grew more scarlet merely to think of his firstborn. ‘Arrogant young dandy! Prancing about. That woman…’

‘She seems to be having a good influence.’

‘Good influence! Aping at marriage. Disgusting. Nice woman. Too good for him. Fine state of affairs.’

‘Your Majesty should calm yourself.’

He looked at her quickly. What was she suggesting, eh? But he knew. She was frightened of what would happen if he continued with his tirade. She thought he might start to rave, and was afraid that he might do something… violent.

So was he.

William had committed a grave indiscretion for which any other captain of a vessel would have been court-martialled.

When he brought the Pegasus into Plymouth badly damaged, for on the way from Ireland they had encountered a bad storm and the mainmast had been struck by lightning, he found orders awaiting him there. He was to remain in Plymouth, supervise repairs to the Pegasus and await orders to sail again.