The Royal Quarrel
Her child dead, her children taken from her care, Caroline felt there was only one thing left to her. She would take her revenge on the man who had treated her so cruelly and by so doing lay the foundations of the power she was determined should be hers when she was Queen of England.
"Ve can't stay at Grantham's house," she told the Prince. "Ve must find a place of our own."
George Augustus, whose grief was superficial, agreed.
"Ve vill find a suitable residence," said Caroline, "and ven ve have found it vill ve build such a court as to make the King's look like a provincial country gentleman's house."
The Prince was delighted. His hatred of his father was far from superficial.
"Veil," said Caroline, "ve begin to look vithout delay."
It was not long before they discovered Leicester House, and as soon as Caroline saw it she knew that she wanted it.
It was on the north side of Leicester Fields and a courtyard stood between it and the public square. It had a pleasant Dutch garden at the back; and Caroline pointed out to the Prince that if they bought the house which adjoined it they could have complete privacy. Although it had only two storeys, the reception rooms were very fine and there was a grand staircase. The neighbourhood was not all that might be desired; on either side of the house were rows of shops; but the main drawback was that Leicester Fields had a bad reputation, having been the resort of all kinds of undesirable characters in the past. Footpads had lurked in the Fields by night and confidence tricksters by day; many a duel had been fought in front of Leicester House, many a nose split by the terrifying Mohocks.
"Is this suitable for the Prince and Princess of Vales?" asked the Prince.
"Not now ... but it vill be. Ve vill make it so," replied his wife.
Caroline was right. As soon as she and the Prince settled in with their household the neighbourhood changed over night. In place of the footpads came the linkmen; the Fields were almost as safe by night as by day, crowded with the coaches of the rich and influential and the Sedan chairs of the great.
All those who were dissatisfied with the Government began to make their way to Leicester House; and not only those. There were astute statesmen who began to realize that the Princess of Wales, if not the Prince, was extremely clever; and although she suffered personally through the loss of her children, her popularity with the people had multiplied because of it. There was scarcely a mother in London and its surrounding villages who did not cry shame to the monster who could deprive a woman of her children.
Caroline mourning for them, deplored the fact that she had no say in their upbringing; but she made full use of the situation; and sought to forget her sorrowful resentment in building the rival court.
This she quickly succeeded in doing and so efficiently that some of the King's ministers advised him to seek an end of the quarrel. A house divided against itself was in danger, they pointed out; particularly when there was a Prince across the water whom many considered to be the real King.
George shrugged these warnings aside. He disliked his son; he deplored his conduct; and he did not trust the Princess of Wales, although he admired her as a woman. He would state his terms to his son and his son must accept them or content himself with exile.
Meanwhile the charm and beauty of Caroline's ladies-in-waiting brought the young bloods to Leicester House—men like the brilliant Lord Hervey whose verses were so clever and who was so good looking, but in a somewhat effeminate way so that he was at times like a handsome girl; but he was clever enough to be an ornament to any Court and Caroline encouraged him. Then there was clever young Lord Stanhope, Lord Chesterfield's heir—so witty that he could not fail to amuse, although he was cruel with it. A strange young man, in looks as different from Hervey as he could be—with an enormous head which made him look stunted and almost dwarf like; and although he was only in his early twenties his teeth were already black. Unprepossessing though he was, he was continually boasting of his successes with women; and his wit was pungent and even more cruel than Hervey's. Another was Lord Peterborough, a tall cadaverous young man; he was amoral doubtless, but amusing. These young men fluttered round the maids of honour with many others; and the promise they gave of being the men of the future interested Caroline.
But her most welcome guests were the writers and for them there was always a ready welcome. Before she had been long at Leicester House Pope, Gay and Tickell were regular visitors; and she had expressed a wish that when Jonathan Swift was in London he would visit her. Isaac Newton was always welcome and since he lived in St. Martin's Lane not far from Leicester Fields, he enjoyed many conversations with Caroline.
This was what she had always wanted—not only a Court where politicians gathered, but one which should be the centre of the arts. Thus it had been in the days of her childhood when she had been so impressed by the court of Sophia Charlotte; she had always dreamed of being the moving spirit in such a court; and now she could be. There was a difference between herself and Sophia Charlotte though—Sophia Charlotte had loved the arts only and had never sought to take a share in government. Caroline wanted both.
George Augustus had little time for the writers. He despised what he called "boetry". He even remonstrated with Lord Hervey for writing it.
"Vot for you vant to write this boetry?" he demanded. "That is for little Mr. Pope and his kind ... not for a noble lord.''
But he indulged his wife. "If you like these men, my tear, then haf them ... but they are only boets and vill not help us fight my father?"
Caroline's reply was that she believed there was more strength in the pen than anything else; and these people delighted her with their clever use of words.
"You vere alvays von governess," said the Prince affectionately.
And the writers continued to come.
Caroline knew that in time it would be the turn of the important politicians.
Caroline was not surprised when Sir Spencer Compton came to Leicester House with a message from the King, and she and the Prince received him in the latter's apartment.
His Majesty, explained Sir Spencer, deplored the differences which existed between him and his son.
George Augustus retorted that if that were so his father only had to behave like any rational father and he and the Princess would be happy to forget those differences.
"This," said Sir Spencer, "is exactly what His Majesty wishes to do, and if Your Highness will abide by certain rules this unfortunate trouble should be over."
"Can you tell me vat these rules are?"
"I can, for it is for the purpose of laying them before you that I have come here."
"Pray proceed."
"His Majesty requires you to pay for your children's households—that of your daughters in St. James's and your son in Hanover."
"If my father vill allow my son to come to England and be under my direction I shall have the greatest pleasure in paying for his establishment over here."
"It is the King's wish that he remains in Hanover."
George Augustus's face was purple with anger. "Then it shall be the King's privilege to provide for him there."
"Is that Your Highness's final answer on that point?"
The Prince rapped his fist on the table. "That is my final answer."
"And your daughters' household?"
"If the King vill have charge of them he must pay for them."
"Then I will continue with the conditions which the King has asked me to put before you. You are to fill no places in your household without the King's pleasure, and to retain in your service no one disagreeable to His Majesty."
"That vould doubtless mean ridding ourselves of some of those who are dearest to us," said Caroline quickly.