University of Virginia Library

67. Royal Personages
BY SAMUEL CURWEN (1781-1782)

AT St. George's chapel, prayers at eight; present, the King, Queen, Princesses Elizabeth and Sophia,—about a hundred hearers; we joined the train to Queen's house, or rather to the gates. The King[179] was dressed in blue fly, cuffs small, open, and turned up with red velvet, cape of same, buttons white, breeches and waistcoat of white cotton, an ordinary white wig with a tail ribbon, a round black chip hat, small, as used in riding.

He is tall, square over the shoulders, large ugly mouth, talks a great deal, and shows his teeth too much; his countenance heavy and lifeless, and white eyebrows. The Queen of the middle size and bulk, height five feet and a-half,—though far removed from beautiful, she has an open placid aspect, mouth large, foot splay:—at prayers their voices often heard, and they appeared devout.

They take no state upon them, and walk freely about the town with only a lord in waiting. At seven, every evening after tea, the King, Queen, Prince of Wales, Princess-royal, Princesses Sophia and Elizabeth, walk for an hour on a terrace half a mile long, amidst two or three thousand people of all ranks.

The Prince of Wales appears a likely agreeable person, far more graceful than his father, who is ungainly. The prince affects much "Jemmy" dress and air;[180] age will doubtless soften down the juvenile taste and affectation. The Queen's dress, a riding habit, same color and facings as the King's—a small bonnet with a blue feather.

Conducted to picture gallery and state-rooms; in one stands the Queen's bed, of a cream-color, worked in flowers with silk floss beautifully shaded, about seven feet long and six wide; posts fluted, and gilt tester,[181] having in the centre an oval compartment, thought to be the richest in England except Lady Clifford's at Wybrook, which was wrought and presented to her by the late Duchess of Norfolk,—twelve chairs and a screen, wrought by her present Majesty's own diligent hand.

In the evening on the terrace, the King was in full dress,—blue uniform, sword and cockade; the Prince of Wales the same. The Queen in a pale greenish silk full dress, except her head, on which she had a bonnet with a feather of the same color as her dress.

July 16. Crossed the river to Eton college or school, passing through cloisters and quadrangles. I learnt from a lad that there were three hundred and thirty pupils belonging to the school; the higher class had on gowns and caps of university fashion.

After breakfast, at castle, to hear the roll-call of Lord Falconberg's regiment, now on duty, and hear the music; two bands of which were playing while the royal family were walking last evening.

Feb. 7. At the Queen's house with Mr. Hopkins to see the plate, etc.; the first object that struck me was three large covered baskets of table plate, as dishes, tureens, butter and sauce boats, all with covers, raised, embossed and engraved. The King's service was silver gilt; the Prince's silver.

We also were conducted to the kitchen, where were eighteen male cooks busily employed in their several various lines; the men in white jackets and caps, and the women in white aprons and caps. By a late royal order, no one is to appear in the kitchen with natural hair.

When the King arrives from court at St. James's, (where he attends five days in the week, Tuesdays and Saturdays being the only ones he has in the week for his own private amusements, concerns, etc.,) dinner is called, on which a bustle ensues; the assistants of the silver scullery take such pieces as are called for out of baskets, place them on a warm stove, whence they are taken by the cook and filled and taken to the dining room door, and delivered to the person appointed to place them on the royal table.

Common dinner, five dishes of meat, four of garden stuffs, and one remove daily,[182] and no more. The King is exceedingly temperate, drinks generally water, and rarely partakes of more than one or two dishes. His supper is water-gruel, taken in a vessel peculiarly appropriated to his use, called the King's cup, of silver gilt,—shown me by the yeoman. The King's company at table is the Queen, Prince

of Wales, (unless on his public dinner days) the Princess Royal, Princesses Sophia and Elizabeth: the rest of the children at another table in another apartment. The Prince's dinner is served up by his proper officers in the same manner as the King's.

The Queen, unless indisposed, always attends court and levee days; as soon as it is over she returns; immediately dinner is served up, without waiting for her husband; a proof of good husbandship. It is said every king has a service of new table plate, the old being disposed of; the silver is kept in bags and put into cupboards.

I took leave, and by advice returned by Buckingham Gate, Pimlico, Grosvenor-place, in preference to Constitution Hill, which sometimes is dangerous,[183] and at eight o'clock got safe home.

Dec. 5. The King delivered his speech from the throne. I went to see him robe and sit on the throne at the House of Lords; he was clothed in green laced with gold when he came, and when he went in red laced; it being the custom to change his garments. The tail of his wig was in a broad, flowing, loose manner; called the coronation tail. His stay in the lords' chamber scarce exceeded half an hour, in which he read his speech of eleven pages.

As one proof among many that might be given of the restraint and disguise of real sentiments on the part of courtiers, from the highest character in the presence chamber to the lowest lounger and attendant at ministerial levees, take the following:—

When the King found himself obliged to take new ministers, and. give up Lord North and his associates, it is well known that it was abhorrent to the royal mind; and being naturally of a pertinacious, obstinate

temper, the King was with the utmost difficulty brought to yield a reluctant consent.

On the first day after the appointment, when he was in a manner forced out of his closet into the room of audience, he received his new servants with a smile, and transacted business with them afterwards with as much seeming cordiality and openness as if they had been in his favor, and in his closest confidence.

So seemingly satisfied and so serene was the royal countenance, that all the newspapers sounded forth the gracious monarch's obliging, condescending goodness to the public wishes, though nothing was farther from his heart, had not the necessity of his affairs impelled him thereto.

At the same time coming up to Mr. Wilkes,[184] he said he was glad of the opportunity to thank him for his very proper and laudable behavior in the late riot; took notice of his looks, which indicated a want of health, advised him to a country air and exercise, which, said his majesty, I find by experience an excellent expedient to procure and preserve health.

All this with the same apparent sincerity, as if they had been in a continued course of paying and receiving compliments, congratulations, and acknowledgments for mutual kindnesses and good offices, though all the world knows there was not a man in the three kingdoms more thoroughly hated, nor whom he had taken a more foolish and unnecessary pains to ruin.

The above-mentioned interview being told of in company, Mr. Wilkes took occasion to remark in the following words:—"To have heard the King, one would have thought I was consulting a quack on the score of my health."