November 11th.—Arrived at the Castle of Louisburg about six in the evening. Found the Queen-Dowager and all her society most kind and friendly.
19th.—Went to Stuttgard, in consequence of an invitation to dine with the King and Queen. Dressed at the Hôtel du Roi d’Angleterre. At a quarter-past four Baroness Seckendorff, the young Queen’s first lady, came for me, and took me to the palace. She introduced me to the Queen in her Majesty’s private apartments, which are very elegant. The Queen seated me on a sofa by her side, and the King soon afterwards came in and sat down. They were both very gracious and conversible. At five they withdrew, and we went down to the apartments below, where we found the gentlemen and ladies of the Court, and the Prince and Princess of Hohenlohe œhringen, which last is a first cousin of his Majesty. Soon afterwards the King and Queen came in, and we went to dinner. The King placed the Princess of œhringen on his right hand, and made me sit beside him on his left. He talked to me all dinner-time, chiefly about the domestic events of our Royal Family in 1814, when I was with the late Princess Charlotte. After dinner we returned to the drawing-room, where coffee was served; and the King and Queen, after a very gracious leave-taking, quitted the room and went to the theatre. Madame de Seckendorff and the Queen’s Chamberlain took me through the palace to the Queen-Dowager’s box, and five minutes later the King and Queen entered their private box; the rest of the Royal Family occupying the great box in the centre of the house. Between the opera and the ballet the King and Queen joined the Royal Family, and also spoke to Lady Erskine in the adjoining box. I returned to Louisburg after the ballet, arriving there a little past eleven.
December 1st.—This day the Constituent Assembly, or States of Würtemberg, meet. It is held every third year. The King opens the meeting, and the Prince of Hohenlohe œhringen is the President. No ladies are admitted as spectators.
15th.—At dinner the Prince of Wallerstein; descended by the female side from the Würtemberg family. This young man is Regent of the little States belonging to his family, his eldest brother having renounced his rights on marrying a gardener’s daughter, with whom he retired to a castle to enjoy rural felicity. The second brother, who is now Prince, is in the Austrian service, and on garrison duty in Bohemia, and has entrusted the Regency to this Prince, who is the third son.
20th.—After dinner I went up-stairs to see a fine suite of apartments above those of the late King, called the Crown Prince’s. This castle is an immense building. Were it inhabited at all in proportion to its size, it would be very cheerful, for all the apartments are light and spacious. The hangings and furniture of those of the Crown Prince are of damask, and there is much gilding. The pictures are not good, but in some of the rooms very numerous.
24th.—In the evening the Queen made her Christmas presents to her ladies and gentlemen. There was a table also for me, covered with pretty things, including a gold chain, a cross, and earrings, a silver cup and saucer, a silver tower for heating water, three gowns,[[105]] &c.
31st.—The year was finished very cordially in the castle, and very noisily out of doors; for notwithstanding all the edicts against it, gunpowder announces the termination of the old year and the commencement of the new one, to the great annoyance of the peaceable inhabitants. In the town there was a ball, and in the castle “pictures” were represented by the principal dancers at the theatre.
CHAPTER IX.
PARIS AND LONDON—DEATH OF THE QUEEN-DOWAGER OF WÜRTEMBERG—HOMBURG—THE LANDGRAVE AND LANDGRAVINE—LIFE AT A GERMAN COURT—RETURN TO LOUISBURG—BADEN.