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union; for Charles was a Catholic, and the Princess of Anspach refused him on that account. Even the prospect of filling so lofty a position as that of Queen of Spain was not so dazzling as to tempt her to renounce her Protestant faith.
A.D. 1705. Shortly after she became the wife of the Electoral Prince of Hanover, and then it was said that heaven had especially reserved her to make Great Britain happy. But that was looking ahead, for she did not become queen until many years had elapsed.
A.D. 1715. Caroline went to England, as Princess of Wales, a little while after her father-in-law, George I., ascended the throne. Her two daughters, Anne and Caroline Elizabeth, accompanied her; but the only son she had at that time, whose name was Frederick Louis, remained in Germany. We shall have more to say about these children as well as those that were born in England, hereafter.
George I. never loved his son, the Prince of Wales, and always designated the princess as "that she-devil." This was because she was high-spirited and had a will of her own; not that she was disrespectful, but George was unamiable, and had little respect for women, particularly for those who possessed brains.
A.D. 1717. When the Prince and Princess of Wales were ordered to withdraw from St. James's Palace, they established a home of their own at Leicester House, where their court was noted for its brilliancy. It was made up of the most promising men and the prettiest and liveliest women of the day. The apartments of the bed-chamber ladies became the resort of the noted wits and beaux, who would congregate of an evening for conversation and all sorts of gay amusements.
Among these were Lord Chesterfield, Lord Scarborough, Lord Hervey, Charles Churchill, and many others. The principal ladies were Lady Hervey, Lady Walpole, Mrs. Selwyn, Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Clayton, and Miss Bellenden. Three of these must each have a separate paragraph in order to introduce them properly; and, as they will appeal (at least two of them) frequently throughout this reign, they ought to be known.
To begin then with the liveliest, most beautiful, most charming,—Miss Bellenden. She was one of the maids-of-honor, and such a fascinating creature that the Prince of Wales was early attracted towards her, and very much inclined to flirt. Perhaps he dreamed of a left-hand marriage, but the lady did not, and saw nothing to admire in the fair-haired little prince. It was Colonel John Campbell who won her heart and married her, without ever consulting the Prince of Wales, who was so indignant that he never forgave Miss Bellenden. It is probable she never asked to be forgiven, seeing that she had done no wrong.
Mrs. Howard was a daughter of Sir Henry Hobart, a Knight of the Bath. Early in life she married Mr. Howard, who became, by the death of his older brothers, Earl of Suffolk. When this marriage took place the young couple had very little money; and, seeing no chance of improving their fortunes at the court of Queen Anne, they went over to Hanover, where they were kindly welcomed by the Electress Sophia.
Once this pair of adventurers were very anxious to entertain the Hanoverian minister; but how could they do so when they had no money? Mrs. Howard's mother-wit helped them out of the dilemma in this way. It was an era when full-bottomed wigs were worn, each of which cost from twenty to thirty guineas, and often perplexed barbers to know where to turn for all the material they needed. So Mrs. Howard, who had a splendid head of light-brown hair, decided to sell it. The sacrifice enabled her to win the good graces of the minister and his half-dozen secretaries, through the instrumentality of a good dinner, and gratified her ambition by securing for her a position in the Princess of Wales's household. Mrs. Howard was a woman of medium height, well-formed, and extremely fair; her features were regular, and she was generally considered very pretty, though not beautiful. She always dressed with the simplicity that good taste prompts; but the most remarkable feature about her was, that at the age of seventy-nine she was still good-looking, and her eyes still preserved the mild, grave expression that characterized them in her youth. Her husband, who was a gambler and a drunkard, left her as soon as she was fairly established in the royal household.