She produced a turban trimmed with white satin and decorated with white feathers. This she placed on Caroline’s head, making sure that her hair was hidden.
The result was too much for Caroline to accept. It was quite hideous. It accentuated the deep colour of her cheeks while taking all the colour from her eyes.
‘It’s ugly,’ cried Caroline.
‘Your Highness, it is the height of fashion.’
‘Then the height of fashion is not for me.’ Caroline tore off the turban and threw it across the room. She shook out her hair and put back the beaver hat. The effect was ruined by the harsh white satin dress.
Lady Jersey was disappointed, she had reckoned on discarding that hat, but she saw it would be unwise to press the point. And in any case the beaver hat with the white satin was quite ridiculous.
‘At least Your Highness will wear the dress,’ said Lady Jersey anxiously.
Caroline smoothed down the folds. She had never felt such soft material. Oh yes, she loved the dress.
‘Then you must allow me to touch up Your Highness’s complexion— just a little. The ladies of the Court do, you know. It’s the fashion.’
Caroline looked at Lady Jersey’s delicately tinted cheeks. She really was a little beauty. It would be pleasant to look like that.
Caroline sat down and Lady Jersey applied rouge to the florid cheeks. The effect was startling but it seemed to please Caroline as much as Lady Jersey.
She was ready for the journey so putting on a green satin cloak trimmed with gold loops and tassels she allowed herself to be conducted to the coaches.
Lord Malmesbury was horrified by the change in her. He should have prevented this. He should have foreseen what that wicked creature, Lady Jersey, would do to his innocent Princess. For innocent she undoubtedly was and was almost ready to treat the woman as a friend in spite of what she had heard of her.
At any moment she would be calling her my love.
Caroline got into the first coach and Lady Jersey was about to take her place beside her when Lord Malmesbury pointed out that the Princess should sit facing the horses and her ladies opposite her. No one should sit beside the Princess. Lady Jersey put her hand over her eyes.
‘I feel sick when I sit with my back to the horses.’
‘How unfortunate, and you a Lady of the Bedchamber! I should have thought such a disability would have disqualified you from taking such a post; but since it did not I suggest that you ride in the second coach with me which will give me great pleasure and prevent any unfortunate occurrence.’
‘But who will ride with the Princess ‘ demanded Lady Jersey.
‘There is the second lady-in-waiting.’
‘It would be most improper for Mrs. Ashton to ride with Her Highness,’
declared Lady Jersey. ‘My place is in the first carriage and I will take it— not matter what the consequences.’
The Princess was about to offer to change places so that Lady Jersey might be comfortable, but a stern look from Lord Malmesbury stopped her.
‘The Princess must sit facing the horses,’ he said firmly, ‘Anything else is unthinkable.’
The horses were whipped up and the journey began Caroline thought: So this was his mistress. Could it be that she had wanted to sit in the place of honour to show she was of more importance than his wife? Still she had been kind to her; she had had this beautiful dress prepared Perhaps they could be friends.
How gauche she is! How unroyal! thought Lady Jersey. Simple, too He will loathe her on sight And that dress is quite hideous. I must compliment the dressmakers on making exactly what I wished for, She does give herself airs, thought Caroline. Of course she is very pretty. But she must be quite old— yet I admit beautiful and very experienced. They say the Prince admires experience. ‘You should not think that I am an innocent girl, she said suddenly, ‘I am not so young, you know. Do you think I have lived like a nun in a convent?’
‘I had not thought of the matter, Your Highness.’
‘I love a Prussian officer. He is very handsome. I would give a great deal to be going to marry him I love his little finger better than the whole person of the Prince of Wales.’
‘Is that so, Your Highness?’
Lady Jersey was finding it difficult to suppress her laughter. How amused the Prince will be to hear of these confidences, she thought.
They had arrived at St. James and the old palace loomed up before her. There was a crowd of people come to cheer her.
She alighted from her coach.
In the Prince’s Light Dragoons which had led the cavalcade from Greenwich, Ensign George Bryan Brummell watched the arrival.
‘My God,’ he thought, ‘what a fearful sight! I feel quite ill to see a woman who could be moderately attractive look so inelegant.’
The Prince drove from Carlton House to St James’s. The moment was close at hand. What will she be like? The reports he had heard of her, though not effusive in her praise, at least conjured up visions of a not unattractive woman. Perhaps he could educate her, teach her to be cultivated and beautiful.
In his heart he was a little tired of Lady Jersey. He wondered if he had ever been in love with her. Certainly not in the way he had been with Maria And what was Maria doing now? What was she thinking? She would be in her drawing room at Marble Hill— how well he remembered it!
And he thought: How I wish I were there now!
But at least a new woman was waiting for him, and he confessed to a certain amount of curiosity. And if she were not too unattractive he might grow fond of her. It was his duty in any case to provide heirs to the crown.
He was dressed in his Hussar’s uniform which was very becoming, he thought, the gold lacing suited his hair. He was a little too florid though, and had put on weight. He weighed seventeen stone which was really too much He was perhaps too fond of drink, but he did take plenty of exercise It’s a family failing, he thought; and touched the swelling at his neck, carefully hidden, of course.
And now he must go and meet his wife.
Yet all the way to St. James’s he could not get Maria Fitzherbert out of his mind.
In the reception room of the palace Caroline was waiting. Malmesbury would present her to the Prince, and protocol demanded that no one but the three of them should be present for it was the ambassador’s duty to deliver Caroline of Brunswick to George, Prince of Wales.
Caroline had begun to feel nervous.
Malmesbury was whispering last minute instructions. ‘When the Prince approaches, you must kneel— immediately. You understand?’
Caroline nodded— for once too overawed for speech.
‘Listen. He is coming.’
The door was thrown open. Caroline caught a glimpse of a large glittering figure. She knelt. The Prince was standing before her and as he raised her, a shudder he could not repress ran through him.
This— this— thing they have dared bring to me! This over-rouged, repulsive, ill-smelling object! Caroline looked at him. He was flushed, not nearly as handsome as the portrait she had received, and fat— So very fat. She smelt the perfume that dung to him; she saw his short nose wrinkle in disgust.
Her hands were damp and hot. He could not bear the touch of them. He dropped them quickly and turning to Malmesbury said: ‘Harris, get me a glass of brandy quickly. I feel ill.’
Caroline stared at her future husband in dismay. Malmesbury replied: ‘Your Highness, would you not rather ; have a glass of water?’
‘No, by God,’ cried the Prince. ‘But— no matter. I must— go to— the Queen.’
With that he turned and walked from the room.
Caroline looked at Malmesbury who, for once, was overcome by confusion.
Poor child, he thought, how gauche, how unattractive in that dreadful white satin gown! And she had not changed her linen. The Prince’s delicate nostrils would have detected this at once. It was the reason he had flown. He was always inclined to turn his back on what he considered unpleasant and that was clearly what he was doing now.