"I know exactly how you feel, my dear," said the Princess Dowager fixing her cold eyes on the Queen. "Did I not suffer in exactly the same way when I first came to this country? Of course I quickly began to realize that those who had lived here longer than I knew best...”
"I cannot see what harm Mademoiselle von Schwellenburg is doing here.”
The Princess looked pained. The Queen had no manners; she had actually interrupted her. No doubt the little upstart was suffering from conceit. Where had she come from? Some little Dukedom that no one had ever heard of! When it had been known that the English ambassadors were going there, that wit Horace Walpole had said, "Let us hope they will be able to find it!" But of course these were the sort of people who gave themselves airs. The Princess Augusta did not look too searchingly into her own origins, but at least she had been absolutely docile all through her married life. And if an ambitious woman should not have a few political ambitions when she was free to do so, when could she ever display her talents? If this little Madam was the Queen she herself was the King's mother; and but for the death of her husband she herself would have been queen. No, little Charlotte must be promptly put in her place which was, queen or not, considerably lower than that of the King's mother.
"Then my dear, you must try to understand. That woman is overbearing. She is causing trouble among your attendants. It is a common enough situation and she must go.”
The young woman who had dared write a letter to Frederick the Great came to life at such an ultimatum. She herself was not so very fond of Schwellenburg that she would be heartbroken to lose her. Who could be as fond as that of Schwellenburg? But she would have to find someone to take her place. Haggerdorn was too meek; and there must be someone with whom she could speak her native tongue. No, she was not going to be robbed of Schwellenburg as easily as that if only to show her mother-in-law that she would not be treated in such an undignified manner.
"I do not wish her to go. She is useful to me. Until I learn to speak English I must have someone who speaks German with me. You cannot imagine how difficult it would be.”
"I cannot imagine," cried the Princess Dowager. "My dear Charlotte, this happened to me, but I had the good sense to accept it as the natural course of events.”
This conversation had taken place in German which George understood better than Lord Bute; but it was obvious to the latter that the tempers of both ladies were rapidly rising.
Then Charlotte went to the King and lifting her eyes appealingly to him said: "I ask this favour.
Allow me to keep Mademoiselle von Schwellenburg.”
George was in a dilemma. He did not wish to displease his mother; yet he did not see how he could refuse such a simple I request from his bride. In fact he was on her side. He could not I see why the tiresome Schwellenburg should not receive a warning that she must change her attitude and then all would be well. It was the solution. He smiled delightedly and his smile included Lord Bute who, he was sure, with masculine perspicacity, would be on his side. This was a quarrel between two women; and he felt as a husband he must support his wife, although it would be going against his mother.
He wavered for a moment and the Princess Dowager was about to speak when he said: "Mademoiselle von Schwellenburg shall stay and I know that the Queen will warn her.”
"But..." began the Princess.
"I will warn her," said Charlotte quickly.
"Yes ... yes ..." went on the King. "You must tell her that if she does not behave er...
becomingly ... she will have to go.”
"This will not do," began the Princess Dowager, but Lord Bute was flashing a warning at her.
The King spoke with dignity. "But Your Highness must understand that I have said it shall be so.”
He looked at the clock. "And now I think our attendants are waiting to assist at our dressing.”
It was dismissal. Even the Princess Dowager had to accept it. Lord Bute, in recognition of the King's order, gave his arm to the Princess Dowager and there was nothing they could do but retire.
"Can you believe it!" cried the Princess when they were alone in her apartments. "What can have happened to George?”
"My dearest, you are always telling him that he must be a king. At last he has taken the admonition to heart and become one.”
"You mean he is going to begin setting himself up against us?”
"I saw that in his face today, which tells me that he wishes it known to us that in future if there is a difference of opinion between us, he will make the decision.”
"That gives me great cause for alarm.”
"It is a change, of course; and one of which we must be wary. We must, however, make sure that in future we all agree.”
"But if he is going to imagine that he is the King and his word is law ...”
"The last king believed all that, yet I have heard it said that it was really Queen Caroline who ruled.”
"It was true.”
"Yet George II thought he did. Why should George III be denied such a pleasant delusion?”
"You are so clever.”
"We must be, my dearest, and we must not have any repetition of that Schwellenburg scene.”
"But I have determined that the woman shall go.”
"Your Highness must forget that determination. The woman is of no importance.”
"But she is going to guide Charlotte...”
"My dear, we must see that Charlotte is not important either.”
"The Queen!”
"Yes, the Queen. She has been brought over here to fill the royal nurseries. If she does that she will be well occupied. The King does not care for women's interference. He has said so often enough to me. We will foster that and in the meantime keep our eyes on Charlotte.”
The Princess nodded. "You go on influencing the King, my love; and leave Charlotte to me.”
**** The Princess Dowager had presented the Queen with several new women.
"Because, my dear Charlotte, you set such store on having Germans about you, I am sending you Miss Pascal. She came from Germany and has served me well. I give her to you.”
Charlotte, flushed with victory over the retention of Schwellenburg, accepted gracefully. Then there was Miss Laverock and Miss Vernon.
"All excellent women," declared the Princess Dowager. And she believed that they and Miss Chudleigh would do very good service in the Queen's household for the Princess Dowager, of course; for the chief duty of these women, while they went about the tasks allotted to them no doubt by the dominating Schwellenburg, was to spy for the Princess and report to her all that Queen Charlotte did and said.
Lord Bute as always was right. There should be no more disagreements with the King. And if the Princess and Lord Bute knew exactly what was happening in the Queen's private apartments they would be able to shape their policy so much more easily; and at the same time make sure that the upstart little Queen should be nothing but the mother of the new royal family. The Great Commoner The Dowager Princess Augusta had been right when the thought had occurred to her that Lord Bute was more interested in the King than in herself. She had always regarded him as a husband; and it seemed natural that he should be absorbed, almost completely absorbed, in the welfare of her son, for she was sure that the family spirit had so engulfed Lord Bute that he thought of George as his son. Everything he did for George was for George's good and as he had pointed out to her, what was for George's good was for theirs; for their one aim was to see George reigning over his kingdom, happy and secure.
He had talked to her at length about the monarchy, and they were in complete agreement. As Lord Bute saw it, a king should be the supreme ruler. This had been the case in the past. Charles II had had great power. And what a statesman he had proved himself to be, conducting secret policies with the French behind his government's back and, Lord Bute was quick to point out, to the great advantage not only himself but his country. But then Charles was a Stuart as Lord Bute himself was, and although he could not claim direct connection, the name being the same, the link must be there. Lord Bute would like to see George absolute monarch.