The King was surprised to receive a call from his sons, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex; and as soon as he saw them he knew that something extraordinary had happened.
Not family trouble again, he hoped. There was no end to it. Both of them were offenders. Sussex marrying that woman when he had no right to and having a court case about it and then its being decided that he wasn’t married. Not that he cared. They had no morals these sons of his. There he was living like a respectable married man with the woman he called his wife and he had a family too. As for the Prince of Wales with his Mrs. Fitzherbert and all that scandal— well, it was better not to think about that!
‘An unexpected pleasure, eh, what?’ he said grimly.
The Prince of Wales felt a momentary wave of pity for his father. How he had aged in the last few years! Those white eyebrows jutting out from the far too red face and the protuberant blue eyes gave him a look of madness. Surely it couldn’t be long before he broke down again. And this matter was not going to help him.
But it had to be done and while King clung to his rank he would have to accept it.
Better, thought the Prince, for him to retire gracefully, to abdicate perhaps. And then he would take charge. He admitted to himself that the prospect of power pleased him.
Should he have kept quiet about this matter? Certainly he could not! It was of the utmost importance to the Crown and at the back of his mind was a solution which pleased him as much as the thought of wearing that crown: to rid of Caroline.
‘A very serious matter has come to light,’ he said, ‘and Augustus and I thought you should immediately be acquainted with it.’
Alarm shot up in the King’s eyes which seemed to become a shade more prominent.
‘Your Majesty,’ went on the Prince, with the utmost solemnity, I have here a grave charge against the morality of the Princess of Wales.’
‘Eh? What’s this? Eh, what? Caroline you mean? What this? Grave charge, eh?’
‘I think that Your Majesty might read this accusation which has been written by Sir John and Lady Douglas. It seems that the Princess of Wales is the mother of an illegitimate child— a son— a boy who now lives with her at Montague House.’
‘What? Eh? What’s this? Don’t believe it. Impossible. A boy? Eh? What’s this, eh, eh, eh?’
‘If Your Majesty would read this charge.’
The King took the Douglases’ statement and stared at it. His eyes boggled as he read.
He stuttered, ‘But this is impossible.’
‘Unfortunately, Sire, it appears to be true.’ The Prince then went on to explain that his brother, the Duke of Kent, had been shown a disgusting drawing which Caroline had done of a neighbour Lady Douglas and Sir Sydney Smith. His Majesty would remember the well-known sailor who had served country with such zeal. Sir Sydney had wanted to take action but had been dissuaded from doing so to a scandal.
‘Disgusting drawing! What? A drawing you say. What drawing?’
‘Of Sir Sydney and Lady Douglas.’ The Prince put his handkerchief to his eyes. ‘Too disgusting, sir, to be talked of, and but Your Majesty may well imagine—’
He could imagine. Sometimes when he was in one of his lost moods pictures came into his head. Pictures, he thought. Disgusting pictures. They’d have to put a stop to it.
‘This matter,’ said the Prince of Wales, ‘is too grave to be dismissed. If it is true that the Princess of Wales has an illegitimate son, some action must be taken — and taken promptly.’
‘There must be an enquiry,’ said the King.
Spencer Perceval rode over to Montague House. ‘I have heard some very grave news,’ he said. ‘There is to be an enquiry into your actions with regard to the boy William Austin.’
‘But why should that be grave?’ enquired the Princess. ‘There is nothing wrong with Willikin.’
‘The implication is that he is your I own son.’
‘I regard him as such.’
Perceval was faintly exasperated. ‘Your Highness must realize the gravity of this charge. It is being said that he is the result of an indiscretion on your part and that you gave birth to him.’
‘That’s a lie, of course.’
‘I know it, Your Highness, but we have to convince others. I suggest that Your Highness engages me to work on your behalf.’
She smiled at him tenderly. ‘Oh, you dear good man.’
He said gruffly ‘I am a friend and a neighbour. Naturally I wish to do all in my power to refute this wicked slander. I rejoice in my position for as such I can do good service to Your Highness.’
She would have embraced him but he held her off. The most indiscreet woman in the world! he thought. And even now she does not realize that it is her indiscretions which have led her into this dangerous position. ‘I must ask Your Highness to tell me the truth of this matter. Hold nothing back. Tell me how did the child come to be in this house?’
Caroline told him of her discovery of the Austins, how he himself had found work for the child’s father, how before he was born his mother had promised him to her and how he had come to her a few weeks after he was born.
Perceval nodded, well satisfied.
‘We have a good case,’ he said. ‘We need one. But I don’t think we are going to have any difficulty in proving these charges false. You have been very indiscreet, Your Highness; and I do beg of you to curb your tongue. A word in the wrong place can ruin you. I beg of you remember that.’
‘I have always been told that I talk too much and without thinking.’
‘I trust Your Highness will remember the truth of that.’
‘I shall do my best. And I think it’s— noble of you to help me. You know, don’t you, that the Prince will not be very pleased with you because I believe my beloved husband is hoping to prove me guilty. He can have as many love affairs as he pleases— and he’d grudge me just one.’
Perceval sighed. What was the use of begging for discretion?
‘We must do what we can,’ he said sternly, ‘and remember the gravity of the situation.’
The Queen was delighted; the Princesses giggled together. It certainly added a spice to life when such dramatic events took place in the family. And all centred round the Prince of Wales as was usually the case.
‘So,’ said Sophia, ‘there is to be an investigation.’
‘A delicate investigation,’ Mary reminded her.
They laughed. ‘Oh, very delicate. Really, Caroline is a fool. What do you think will happen?’
‘Well, if it goes the way George wants it, she’ll be divorced and sent back to Brunswick. And then he’ll take another wife and if he has a son that will put dear little Charlotte’s nose out of joint.’
‘Which I daresay will do her no harm. That child gives herself airs.’
‘What do you expect with such a mother?’
‘And such a father!’
‘How exciting they make life. George has had a morganatic marriage which you would have thought was enough for anyone. But not for George. Now he has to have a Delicate Investigation!’
The Delicate Investigation had begun. The King himself had appointed a Council to enquire into the truth of the Douglases’ allegations and this was made up of Lord Grenville, the Prime Minister, Lord Erskine, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Ellenborough, the Lord Chief Justice, and Lord Spencer the Secretary of State; and presided over by Sir Samuel Romilly, one of the leading lights of the Bar recently, at the instigation of the Prince of Wales, appointed Solicitor- General.
There was no representation for the Princess of Wales, though Perceval was at hand to help her and advise. She had in fact not been officially warned that the investigation was to take place although an attorney, a Mr. Lowten, had been appointed to watch the case for the Prince of Wales, which meant that he was to do all he could to prove Caroline’s guilt.