‘Avast there, my hearty!’ was a constant cry. ‘The son of a whore is as good a man here as the son of a king.’
‘I’d agree with that,’ was William’s good-humoured comment. ‘It’s the man himself we have to work with, not his father.’
Although he could be hot-tempered his anger died quickly; he was more likely to resort to fisticuffs – at which he was quite accomplished – than words. He was not quick-witted but he was good-natured; and if he could help anyone he would.
Resentment grew into an amused tolerance. Willie Guelph was not a bad sort and as long as he kept his royalty to himself they would not complain.
He learned to swear like the rest of them. When they went ashore he would go off in the company of his friends and like theirs his greatest interest was in the girls of the town.
He was a regular fellow, this Guelph; he was accepted; he was an example of the truth of the saying that one man was as good as another.
The Prince George was at Spithead once more and Christmas was approaching. A message was sent to Admiral Digby that Prince William was to return to Windsor where he would pass a few days with his family.
Some opposition had been expressed to the Prince’s absences of duty – there had been several of them since he had joined the Navy – and the Earl of Sandwich had actually spoken to the Queen on the subject. Such favouritism could not add to the popularity of His Royal Highness, he pointed out; at which the Queen looked at him very coldly and replied that she thought his son’s career was a matter for His Majesty to decide. Sandwich, who prided himself on his bluntness, retaliated with ‘If Your Majesty does not know your duty, I know mine!’ which made the Queen very angry but because her word carried no weight with the King she allowed the insult to pass. However, William still continued to enjoy frequent leaves from duty.
This was a sad occasion, for during this one he was to say good-bye to Frederick who was to be sent to Germany to learn how to be a soldier.
The Prince of Wales was in despair. He and Frederick were inseparable. What was he going to do without Frederick? Who was going to help him to meet the ladies of his choice? In whom was he going to confide? And if Frederick was to become a soldier why could he not do so in England? Why did the King believe that only the Germans knew how to train soldiers? The Prince of Wales wanted to be a soldier too. If Frederick had to go he would like to go with him. ‘A Prince of Wales cannot leave the country,’ said the King. ‘Then let us train in England,’ retorted the Prince, which so shocked the King that his eyes bulged and he called his son a young jackanapes whose insolence was growing beyond endurance.
So it was not a very happy occasion.
The King was very solemn, full of advice and maudlinly sentimental, for since the Prince of Wales had started to cause so many scandals Frederick had become his favourite son.
His Majesty made all the arrangements in detail just as he had with William and the last day arrived and the family gathered for the last evening as they had for William.
William was unhappy because of George’s grief. George had been sorry to lose William but he knew that William would be frequently returning to England and have his spells of leave. It would not be so with Frederick. He would stay in Germany perhaps for years.
George wept and embraced Frederick; they mingled their tears. It was most affecting.
‘And to think,’ said George to William, ‘that the old fool could have let him train in England – then we need not have been separated.’
‘William must stay with us for my birthday celebrations,’ declared the Queen. ‘Frederick has gone, so William must stay.’
William was delighted. Although he had now grown used to life at sea he found the complete change stimulating. The contrast between his exquisite brother George and his shipmates was overwhelming. They seemed rougher when he returned to them, and George seemed to grow more and more elegant. But perhaps this was the truth for George was becoming increasingly interested in his clothes and had even invented a new style of shoe buckle which was being worn everywhere and known as ‘the Prince of Wales’s Buckle’. The young women – William’s prevailing passion – were different too. He liked the girls he met in taverns but he liked fine ladies too; and now that he was a man he could discuss his adventures with George which was interesting. George’s approach was entirely romantic – very different from that of the sailors. George had to adore the object of his passion; she had to be perfect, angelic, an ideal of womanhood. It was a new outlook and a fascinating one; and was more satisfying to William’s nature – which was not unlike that of George in this respect. To be in love was an ecstatic experience. Without it, to George’s fastidious mind, there was no great pleasure to be found in associating with women.
He converted William to this point of view.
And thus it was when the brothers attended the ball at St James’s which was held to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, William fell in love for the first time.
She was the Hon. Julia Fortescue and when William saw her he understood fully the doctrines of the Prince of Wales. He danced with her; they talked. He was no longer shy but in her presence he felt a little tongue-tied. He was not yet sixteen – very young, of course, but then so was she and he had been living like a man. They could not make a man of him one minute, he thought, and expect him to be a boy the next.
He danced again with Miss Fortescue. He told her that he had had many adventures during his life at sea but he had never met anyone like her before. She thought he was charming, because he was so modest and humble in spite of being the son of the King.
The Queen was aware that he was dancing with Miss Fortescue more than he should. He ought to remember his duty. There were other ladies – not such young ladies – with whom he should be stepping out. But Her Majesty was not so concerned with him as she was with the Prince of Wales who was showing marked attention to Lady Sarah Campbell.
After the ball he and George talked of their divinities and it was George who suggested that they should marry.
‘Marry!’ cried William ecstatically. ‘It is what I wish for beyond all things.’
He called on her. Her family lived in Piccadilly in a big house facing Green Park, and naturally the son of the King was welcome there.
Every day he visited the Fortescues; people were talking and Julia and he began to make plans.
‘We will marry,’ declared William.
‘Could we?’ she asked. ‘Is it possible?’
‘Of course it is.’
‘There is the Marriage Act.’
William wrinkled his brows; he had not concerned himself much with Acts.
‘The King and Queen would never consent.’
‘Why not?’
‘They’d want a princess for you.’
‘You’re better than any princess. They must see that.’
But of course the King did not think so; and when he heard that William was dancing attendance on Miss Fortescue, calling on her at her home and was talking of marriage, he sent for his son.
‘What’s this, eh? Courting a young woman. What are you thinking of, eh?’
‘Marriage, Sir,’ said William.
‘Are you mad?’
‘Only in love, Sir.’
The King’s eyes bulged and his face grew red but he was momentarily silent. He couldn’t help thinking of his own youth. He had been only William’s age when he had been so wholeheartedly in love with a young Quakeress that he had acted in the most foolish way. And he had been Prince of Wales.