The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 215: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

186 THE COURT OF LONDON expression, and a sudden flushing of the countenance showed that she possessed a temper impatient of contradiction and which in time might even become overbearing and despotic. We have said that her Royal Highness was attired in a very low dress, but as a matter of course it was not with her shoulders and bosom thus exposed that she had arrived in the carriage. An elegant scarf was thrown lightly over her neck, and a veil depended from the hat which she wore. This hat was of beaver, with large brims and black plumes, and being worn gracefully, it suited well the somewhat bold and masculine style of her features. On reaching the landing that communicated with the apartments of the Princess Sophia, the Princess Charlotte quitted the arm of Sir Robert Conway and passed into a dressing-room, followed by her ladies in waiting. ‘There she laid aside her splendid hat and her elegant scarf of purple velvet with its gold fringe; and dispensing with the attend- ance of her ladies, she proceeded alone to the apartment where the Princess Sophia was seated. The meeting between the aunt and the niece was most affectionate, and when they had exchanged the usual greetings, the Princess Charlotte requested Sophia to dismiss her ladies who were in attend- ance. This was immediately done, and the royal aunt and niece remained alone together. We must here observe that for some years past the Prin- cess Charlotte had not resided with her father the prince regent. She dwelt principally with the king and queen at Windsor or Frogmore. That is to say, she was in reality under the protection of old Queen Charlotte, his Majesty George III being at the time a hopeless lunatic. The young princess did not often repair to London, save when in the company of the queen; but occasionally she would make a special trip to St. James’s Palace, to visit her aunts who had apartments there; and it was often observed in courtly circles, rumoured throughout the West End, and even hinted at times by the newspaper press, that on such occasions her Royal Highness very seldom called at Carlton House, but saw her father the prince regent at St. James’s. We may add that of all the royal family the Princess Sophia was Char- lotte’s favourite relative, and to this much-loved aunt was she wont to confide all her cares, anxieties, and troubles. Not many days had elapsed since the Princess Charlotte Gomicbdooks (E(@)