Виктория Холт - The Third George

"It would seem, my lord," said George mildly, 'that the arrangements for our coronation can scarcely be called efficiently made.”

Effingham muttered: "It is so I fear, Sire. It seems some matters have been neglected." He added more brightly: "But I have taken care that the next coronation will be regulated in the exactest manner possible.”

George burst out laughing, and told Charlotte what the Earl had said. Effingham was overcome with confusion and far more embarrassed than he had been over the lack of chairs. But the more George considered his remark the more it amused him. He called Lord Bute and insisted that Effingham repeat what he had said. This Effingham did, mumbling and growing more and more scarlet.

Meanwhile the Lord Mayor of London and the Aldermen of the City had discovered that no places had been laid for them, and the Mayor was declaring in a loud voice that he considered this a disgrace. He was the Lord Mayor of London and did my Lord Effingham and my Lord Talbot know that London was the capital city and bowed to no one ... not even kings. The biggest omission that could have been made was to fail to provide places for the Mayor and Aldermen.

Lord Effingham, escaping from the amused King, was obliged to face the furious Lord Mayor.

"My Lord Mayor," whispered Effingham, "I pray you leave quietly with your Aldermen. Some recompense shall be made...”

"There's only one recompense," retorted the Mayor. "And that is table places.”

"My Lord Mayor...”

"The City of London is giving a banquet to the King which is costing 10,000. Have you the effrontery, my lord, to tell me then that there is no place for the Mayor and Aldermen at the King's coronation banquet? The city will not have it, sir.”

Talbot came to the aid of the harassed Effingham and whispered that the Lord Mayor and Aldermen should have the table which had been reserved for the Knights of the Bath. Effingham was relieved and the Lord Mayor and Aldermen were satisfied. But then there were the Knights of the Bath to be faced and a similar scene was enacted with them. At length Effingham fitted them into other tables which caused such crowding that there was a great murmur of complaint to which derisive comments were added when it was discovered that there was not enough food to go round and that the incompetent organizers had miscalculated once more.

The most farcical incident of all was yet to come. It was the custom of the Lord Steward, in this instance the unfortunate Lord Talbot, to ride a horse into the hall and up to the dais and there pay his respects to the King and Queen. Talbot had intended to ride to the dais, make his gracious speech and then back the horse out of the hall keeping his face and that of the horse towards their Majesties. He had practised this in the empty hall; but this was a day of mishaps, and Talbot had forgotten that the horse had gone through his paces perfectly when the hall was empty but now it was full of chattering laughing grumbling people; it was lighted by thousands of flickering candles and was not the same comfortable spot by any means.

The horse and rider appeared in the hall. The horse seemed to take one look at the royal couple and turn his back on them; in vain did Talbot attempt to ride him to the dais; the horse would only turn and present his hindquarters. There was wild laughter throughout the hall, while the discomfited Talbot endeavoured to guide his horse up to the dais. It was with the greatest difficulty that he did finally bring the prancing animal to the edge of the dais; but by then everyone, including the King and Queen, were too convulsed by laughter to hear his loyal speech.

It was a farce of a coronation. Yet it was a coronation all the same. And from that day those about the king noticed a new resolution in his manner. The first to be aware of this was Lord Bute, and although he was certain of his hold on the King's affections and therefore was certain of his own powers, from that time he did begin to be a trifle uneasy.

Now began the happiest weeks of Charlotte's life. George found her amicable, eager to learn; and the fact that she could speak only German and French, which cut her off from society considerably, made her turn to him for guidance and protection. Apart from her appearance she was all that he asked of a wife; and as he was a man who could only be at peace if he believed he was doing what was right, he began to enjoy his marriage. There were whole days when he did not give Sarah a thought; and even when he caught a glimpse of a Quaker's habit in the streets he would assure himself that together he and Charlotte would be such an example to all married people throughout the land that youthful indiscretions would count as nothing.

He had suppressed his own wishes; he had married Charlotte for the good of the country; and it was his duty to make that for her good and his own. He was physically contented; he was not a sensual man, although he had a fondness for women and could always be deeply affected by feminine charms. It gave him pleasure to contemplate these and to know that a less respectable man in his position would have nourished that emotion they aroused. Not so, George. He was going to be a faithful husband and introduce a new respectability into the Court and country.

So he devoted himself to Charlotte, who congratulated herself that the most fortunate aspect of her marriage was her husband's determination to cherish her. He quickly discovered her love of music and told her that they must have musical evenings during which she could display her skill at the harpsichord and hear some of the musicians of the Court. She would love the Opera he was sure, and within a few days of the coronation he had taken her to hear one. If was a state occasion; the people were still affectionate towards their King and Queen and when they entered the royal box they received a loyal ovation.

Later, he told her, when she had learned English he would take her to the play. She would enjoy the play, he was sure; but he saw no reason why she should not see the Beggar's Opera which had just been revived. He told her the story of the highwayman and London low life to which she listened avidly, not understanding it completely, for London low life was something quite different from anything she had ever imagined.

"In my grandfather's day it was considered treasonable," he told her.

She could not understand how the antics of criminals and gaol birds could affect the Crown.

"Oh, some of the characters were meant to be caricatures of the King's ministers. But that is all different now. The allusions have no point. And we are not afraid of a little ridicule.”

He spoke almost complacently; the cheers of the people were still ringing in his ears and he believed everything was going to be so different under his reign. He drove with her a little way out into the country. She was enchanted with her new land which was so beautiful at this time of year when the leaves were russet and gold and the grass still green.

"It would be pleasant," said George, 'if we had a house where we could live apart from the Court...

well, not entirely so, but a place where we could be free from continual ceremony. I think I will buy you a house.”

"A house for me," cried Charlotte, enchanted.

"Which," George reminded her, 'you will invite me to share with you.”

They talked of houses. "I never liked Hampton Court," he told her in a rush of confidence. "My grandfather once struck me there ... and I always remember it.”

"Struck you. He must have been a disagreeable old man.”

"He was. I don't think he meant me to take it so seriously. He had a very quick temper and I suppose he thought me particularly stupid. In any case he struck me, and I have never liked the place since.”

"Then I shall not like it either," declared Charlotte.

"But I never liked it even before that incident," went on the King.

"It's too flat. I asked Capability Brown to do something about the gardens and he refused me. He said there was nothing to do there and he declined out of respect for himself and his profession.”

"Capability." she said. "It is an odd name.”

"His name is Lancelot. But he is called Capability because, when shown the garden, if he wishes to work on it he remarks; "This has great capabilities." He is a despot about gardens ... but a genius; and it is said that there is no gardener in the world to compare with him. He can transform a place.”

"And he refused to touch Hampton?”

"He refused to touch Hampton," repeated George with satisfaction.

"I want you to come to see Wanstead House which is on the market.”

How she enjoyed these excursions with the King. He brought to them a cosy intimacy. They might have been a nobleman and his wife with no state duties, choosing their first home together.

Wanstead House was enchanting.

"One of the finest houses in the country," said George. "If you had stayed here on your way to St.

James's, you would have thought the Palace a mean place in comparison.”

"It is a little farther in the country than we hoped," suggested Charlotte. "It is beautiful, I admit. I have never seen a house which delighted me more; but if we lived here we should not be able to visit it often.”

George nodded. Charlotte was proving herself to be a practical young woman.

"There would be a journey through the city," he said. "Oh, yes, you are right. It is too far from St.

James's. We should never be able to retreat without a fuss. I suggest that we go back and take a look at Sir John Sheffield's house. He wants 21,000 pounds for it.”