Kate Huntington’s The Captain’s Courtship

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

We have a small used book store in my community. I love to frequent local merchants and being in a book store is nearly as divine as being in a library. Surround me with books, and I am a happy woman. One of the things I like about this store is the proprietor keeps copies of some of the more traditional Regency writers. I chose Kate Huntington’s book simply based on her name. I am from Huntington, West Virginia, so the lady’s name caught my eye. I originally bought His Lordship’s Holiday Surprise and A Rogue for Christmas to read over the holidays. I enjoyed both so much that I returned for several more of Huntington’s titles.

Book Blurb: A Desperate Fortune Hunter: Vanessa Whittaker must become betrothed by the end of her first London season – or else resign her fate and that of her family to the poorhouse. Encouraging the sole attentions of well-heeled elderly men, the raven-tressed beauty scorns the most handsome young noblemen Society has to offer, including wounded war hero Captain Alexander Logan. But it isn’t long before Vanessa’s resolve slowly crumbles under this dashing rogue’s irresistibly wicked spell!

A Daring Captain: Against his father’s wishes, Captain Alexander Logan intends to return to his regiment, even if it means wooing a pretty fortune hunter. Surely then his father will hasten to send him away to the military. Yet, Alex has not reckoned on taking so much pleasure in matching wits with the delectable Miss Whittaker, who is determined to ignore his amorous advances. But two can play on the battlefield of love. Soon, Alex sets out to teach Vanessa a lesson and reap his own rewards from a sham courtship that is quickly laying siege to two unsuspecting hearts.

The Captain’s Courtship by Kate Huntington (A Zebra Regency Romance – Kensington Publishing Company – copyright 1999)

Okay, if you are not old enough to remember Regency romances without “sex,” this book may not be for you. I am no prude. Some of my books contain sex scenes, some contain references to possible sexual interludes, and some have none. I do not write sex scenes simply to include one. That is probably because I spent much of my time reading books like Ms. Huntington’s. There is still sexual tension. Plenty of it, in fact.

Although Huntington’s use of the “fake engagement” is a tried and true entanglement in Regencies, this novel has a bit of a twist. It seems fresh. The dialogue is realistic – as if it was one that a person might overhear. Although there are several contrived plot twists, the storyline develops logically. It is well-crafted and, generally, follows the traditional format set by Georgette Heyer. The characters are fully developed and are worth rooting for. Both the hero and the heroine exhibit noble intentions: he for saving her family and her for not trying to “milk” him for his fortune.

There were some points that bothered me. For example, I do not understand why the family chooses to repair a house that cannot be theirs. Captain Logan gives Vanessa 2000 pounds to portray his betrothed. There are only females in the family. She and her sisters return home to save an estate that they cannot inherit. Secondly, using Sir Gregory Bainbridge to ruin Vanessa’s reputation made sense as a plot device. It did not make sense to have Bainbridge and Robert Langtry, her childhood sweetheart, being friends at the end of the book.

I did love the scene on the docks when Vanessa rushes to Logan’s side before he sets sail for the Continent. It was sweetly done and very satisfying.

Only one of Ms. Huntington’s titles are currently available in an eBook format. To Tempt a Gentleman has a 2005 copyright. The rest of her titles are available from used book outlets. Yet, they are worth checking out if one wishes to read a Regency with more plot than steam. I give the book a 4 out of 5 stars.

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Royal Princesses – Part VI – George III’s Descendants – Princess Amelia

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Princess Amelia was born on 7 August 1783, at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, the youngest of George III and Queen Charlotte’s fifteen children, as well as the only of her siblings born at Windsor Castle. Called “Emily” by her affectionate father,  Amelia was born after the early deaths of her two elder brothers: Octavius (23 February 1779 – 3 May 1783) and Alfred (22 September 1780 – 20 August 1782).  The death of these two princes left a gap of almost six years between Amelia and her nearest surviving sibling, Princess Sophia. She was twenty-one years younger than her eldest sibling George and nearly seventeen years younger than her eldest sister Charlotte.

Amelia was christened at the Chapel Royal, St. James Palace by John Moore, The Archbishop of Canterbury, on 17 September 1783. Her godparents were The Prince of Wales (Amelia’s eldest brother), The Princess Royal (her eldest sister), and The Princess Augusta Sophia (her second eldest sister). Compared to the carefully planned education that Charlotte, Augusta, and Elizabeth had been given, the education given to Mary, Sophia, and Amelia was based solely on what had come before. Amelia was only five years old when her father suffered his first bout of madness As a consequence of her father’s declining health, she never experienced the closeness and affection that had characterized the family during her eldest sisters’ early years.

Being the fifteen child, Amelia was never “healthy.” She spent much of her childhood at Worthing with a tubercular knee. In 1801, Amelia was left at Weymouth for the sea air. With her was her governess, Miss Jane Gomm, and the King’s equerry, Colonel the Honourable Sir Charles FitzRoy, a descendant of Charles II. FitzRoy was 39 and Amelia only 18. A lover of romantic novels, the princess fell in love with the man. Mary tried to counsel her sister, but Amelia would have none of it. FitzRoy even lent Amelia 5000 pounds. Her letters regarding the affair survive. She takes full responsibility for pursuing the man.

Most people believe that although rumors exist of a secret marriage, FitzRoy was careful to keep his position. Amelia, however, began to sign her letters with “Amelia F.R.” and even had those initials engraved on her silver.  In 1807, the King became aware of the rumors. Miss Gomm took much of the blame for “looking the other way.” Reportedly, the Queen had agreed to the match “the moment the King was dead.” The correspondence between Amelia and FitzRoy continued.

By 1808, Amelia was making inquiries into how to thwart the Royal Marriage Act. She would have to wait until she was five and twenty before she could act. That or pray that her father would go permanently mad and George IV would permit her to marry her beloved. She drafted letters to both the Privy Council and to the Prince Regent. She said, “I would never marry where I could not give my affections, and General FitzRoy possesses all my affection.” However, the letters were never sent.

Amelia’s health deteriorated, and she convinced herself that her mother wanted her to die because the Queen forbade Amelia from telling the King about FitzRoy. In 1809, leaving FitzRoy behind, she returned to Weymouth for her health. During her time at Weymouth, Mary refused to give her sister the comfort of speaking of FitzRoy. Eventually, she was brought home to Windsor to die.

Amelia settled with Mary at Augusta Lodge in Windsor. As she had only repaid General FitzRoy one thousand pounds, Amelia wished to make him her heir. Amelia wrote to Prinny and asked him to intercede with the Queen, who wished for Amelia to leave her wealth to the Ladies of the Castle. She was in great discomfort when Princess Augusta arranged for FitzRoy to visit with Amelia.

Amelia had a special keepsake made for her father. It was mourning ring with some of her hair sealed within and the inscription “Amelia” and “Remember Me” on the back. Amelia died at the age of seven and twenty (1810). Prinny had difficulty carrying out her will: she had left her jewels to FitzRoy and had made him her residuary legatee. The Prince of Wales finally convinced FitzRoy to give the jewels to Mary. The general wrote of Amelia, “She was the adored and departed angel.” He married eventually.

If you enjoyed this series, try Laura Purcell’s “Which Daughter of George III Are You?” Quiz. Visit http://quizilla.teennick.com/quizzes/22967157/which-daughter-of-george-iii-are-you

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Royal Princesses – Part V – George III’s Descendants – Princess Sophia

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Sophia Matilda was born on 3 November 1777, the twelfth child and fifth daughter of George III and Queen Charlotte. She was equally as beautiful as Mary and likely more intelligent. Sophia is said to have been the people’s favorite. Unfortunately. Sophia had inherited the family malady and often suffered from “spasms,” bouts of depression, and a throat malady that made it hard for her to swallow. Like her father, Sophia’s constitution was stronger than many expected. She lived to age 72.

Much of Sophia’s story is pure conjecture. Reportedly, she bore a General Thomas Garth an illegitimate son in 1800. Lord Glenbervie published the rumors of the child’s birth in his Journal. Supposedly, Glenbervie learned of the child from the Princess of Wales, whose “fondness” for the Royal Family had gone by the wayside. Glenbervie wrote, “The foundling which was left at the Taylors is now in a manner admitted by the Court to be Princess Sophia’s, and, as the story goes, by General Garth.”

Garth was a British Army officer and chief equerry to King George III. The child was called Thomas. Anthony Camp in Royal Mistresses and Bastards (London 2007, pages 313-323) challenges the idea of Sophia maternal attempts.

In his Memoirs, Charles Greville wrote, “The Princesses lived at the Lower Lodge. Pss. Sophia, however, was unwell, and was removed to the Upper Lodge, and a few days after the K. and Queen went to town, leaving the Pss. there. Garth, who was one of the King’s equerries, remained also, and his bedroom at the Lodge was just over hers. Nine months from that time she was brought to bed. The old King never knew of it. The Court was at Weymouth when she was big with child. She was said to be dropsical, and then suddenly recovered. ”

The March 15th, 1829, version in the Morning Chronicles claimed Sophia gave birth during the royal family’s annual move from Windsor to Weymouth for their summer holiday. During the journey, Sophia took ill in Andover. Yet, once she reached Weymouth, she had recovered completely. Mysteriously, a male child was placed with a family named Taylor, who had just had their own son. He lived lived with the family until age 4, when General Garth removed the child to be brought up as his own.

Rumors also existed of a secret marriage, which would have been illegal because of the Royal Marriage Act. Garth was 38 years Sophia’s senior. Supposedly, he had a large port-wine colored birthmark that marred his countenance. He had a house called Ilsington in Puddletown, which was often visited by the Royal Family en route from London to Weymouth. With a reputation for devotion to the Royal Family, the Prince Regent placed Garth in charge of his renegade daughter Princess Charlotte. When she was in residence at Ilsington, Charlotte wrote to her friend Margaret Mercer Elphinstone that Garth spoiled “his son,” who was at Harrow at the time. Charlotte even insinuated that Garth put the young man in Charlotte’s way as a possible suitor.

The boy Thomas had an unsuccessful army career and found himself in deep debt. In 1829, he precipitated additional scandal by attempting blackmail. By that time, the story of Garth and Princess Sophia had taken on a life of its own. People now considered General Garth as a loyal servant who agreed to cover up an incestuous relationship between Sophia and her brother, the Duke of Cumberland, who was never a people’s favorite. Hoping to drive Cumberland from England, the newspapers printed the story. However, Cumberland brought his son and wife over from Hanover and faced the allegations head on.

Even worse than the Cumberland tale is the suspicion that Sophia’s child might have belonged to her father. When she was living in the Upper Lodge, George III was living there also. Not mad at the time, the monarch had had several episodes previously and would go mad again the following year. People consider this a strong possibility because of General Garth’s total devotion to his monarch. This would certainly explain why Sophia’s brothers and sisters closed ranks to protect her.

Part 6 concludes the series tomorrow with Princess Amelia.

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Royal Princesses – Part IV – George III’s Descendants – Princess Mary

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Princess Mary was born, on 25 April 1776, at Buckingham Palace. Mary was christened on 19 May 1776, in the Great Council Chamber at St. James Palace, by Frederick Cornwallis, The Archbishop of Canterbury. Her godparents were Landgrave Frederick of Hesse-Cassel (her first cousin once-removed); The Duchess of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (her cousin’s wife); and Princess Charles of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (her third cousin once-removed). As we have learned previously, each of King George’s daughters possessed a distinct personality. Princess Mary, “Minny” to her sisters, was said to be the prettiest of the bunch. Mary was known as the family “nurse.” When her younger sister Amelia was dying,  it was Mary who traveled to Weymouth to tend the girl. As the Regency came into place with George III’s madness, Mary wrote daily report to her bother regarding their father’s condition. Mary stressed how Queen Charlotte’s presence upset her husband, and it was with her suggestion that the daughters visit their father instead.

Like her sisters before her, Mary resisted her mother’s manipulations. The Queen had insisted that her daughters share her cloistered existence at Windsor. Mary, however, as the oldest unmarried Princess, opened the Grand Ball at Carlton House for the 1814 victory celebration. She danced with the Duke of Cumberland.  Later, she opened her brother’s fete for Arthur Wellsley, the Duke of Wellington. On that evening, she danced with the Duke of Devonshire. She was considered the best of George III’s daughters when it came to social situations.

Around 1796, Mary had fallen in love with the Dutch prince Frederick, while he and his family lived in exile in London. Frederik was a son of  William V, Prince of Orange,  the Dutch stadholder, and younger brother to the future King William I of the Netherlands.  However Frederik and Mary never wed because George III had stipulated that her elder sisters must marry first. In 1799, Prince Frederik died of an infection while serving in the army, and Mary was allowed to go into official mourning.

In 1815, Mary’s cousin William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester, presented himself as a possible suitor.  They married on 22 July 1816. On that day, the Prince Regent granted the Duke the style of His Royal Highness by Order in Council. The Duke had been encouraged to stay single so that he might become a suitable groom for Princess Charlotte of Wales, heir to the throne. He was the “just in case” – just in case no foreign match could be found for Charlotte. Both he and Mary were age 40 at the time of their marriage; therefore, no children came of their joining.

Ironically, the Duke of Gloucester had been one of the reasons George III had put the Royal Marriage Act in place. William Frederick was the son of George III’s brother Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh. However, his mother was one of the illegitimate daughters of Sir Edward Walpole and Walpole’s low class mistress. William Frederick was known as “Silly Billy” within the family because of his lack of both charm and intelligence. Mary wrote, “I do not know what other people feel when going to be married, but, as yet, I have done nothing but cry.”

Mary likely had very good reason to shed a few tears. Gloucester shocked his dear family by coming out as a Whig. Although he permitted his wife to attend her family in times of distress, Mary found it more difficult to escape her husband’s tight hold for pleasanter times. Gloucester allowed Mary to support her sisters during her mother’s death. (He actually went abroad to leave his wife to her duties.) He even gave her permission to participate in attending her father. Yet, when she wished to enjoy her family celebrations, Gloucester did not approve. He was an Evangelical and did not believe in Sunday travel. Mary’s husband thoroughly disapproved of the decadent Prince Regent. The man even barred his wife the use of the downstairs reception rooms at their home for entertaining. Poor Mary had to receive guests in her rooms on the uppermost floors of the house.

The Duke of Gloucester died in 1834. Mary dutifully nursed her husband through his illness. Mary lived to the ripe old age of 80. She outlived all of George III’s fifteen children. Mary passed away on 30 April 1857 at Gloucester House, London.

Part V continues tomorrow with Princess Sophia.

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Matthew Macfadyen to Take Lead in Tale of Jack the Ripper

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Having tackled the Tudors, the BBC is taking on the Yorks and the Lancasters in what promises to be an epic BBC1 drama about the War of the Roses.

In a twist on the male-dominated lens through which history is frequently viewed, the epic serial about one of the bloodiest periods in English history will be told from the point of view of powerful women who “shaped their men and who shaped history in the process”.

They include queens, mothers, lovers and “witches” and the drama reminds viewers that at the time women could still be burned at the stake for sorcery.

The War of the Roses is an adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s best-selling series of books The Cousin’s War and is part of a renewed focus on BBC1 drama.

The BBC said that it is yet to cast the drama or decide the number of episodes.

Other casting announcements made by Stephenson included Matthew Macfadyen taking the lead role in Tiger Aspect’s new Jack the Ripper drama Ripper Street and Hayley Atwell to star in Willliam Boyd’s Restless.

For additional news on the new productions, see the Wednesday, January 12, 2012, edition of The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jan/11/bbc1-war-of-the-roses-drama?newsfeed=true&mid=577

 

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Cheryl Bolen’s “With His Lady’s Assistance” – Book 1 in Regent Mysteries

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

“With His Lady’s Assistance” is the first book in Cheryl Bolen’s Regent Mysteries Series. It is only available in eBook format: Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and Smashwords. If you are unfamiliar with Ms. Bolen’s works, you writes for Harlequin Historicals and Zebra Historicals. She has released some eight Regency novels and several novellas. Bolen has received  numerous nominations and awards.

Personally, I like Bolen’s works. I have read several of them, including

 

Book Blurb: To help him mingle in the highest echelons of English society to investigate threats on the Prince Regent’s life, super spy Captain Jack Dryden must feign an engagement to the exceedingly plain spinster, Lady Daphne Chalmers. Together they embark on an investigation which brings them into grave peril – and makes the captain reevaluate the skinny maiden who has a most amorous effect upon him.

* * *

With His Lady’s Assistance is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and mystery, a romp through Regency society, sprinkled with appealing characters and colorful figures from British history. Protecting the eccentric Prince Regent from an unknown assassin has never been so entertaining. –  In Print

This book combines humor, romance, and mystery. Although I knew early on who the assassin might me, I am not the typical mystery reader, and I usually spot the “red herring” early on. That did not take away from the pleasure of reading this book. The characters are likeable, and they invoke our empathy. Those who read Regencies know immediately that the second son of a country squire cannot aspire to the likes of an earl’s daughter. Captain Jack Dryden is England’s finest spy, and Lady Daphne Chalmers is Society’s “adorable” spinster. They are an unlikely match, which makes them the perfect couple.

It is a bit refreshing to permit Daphne to see the “debauchery” of the beau monde through Jack’s eyes. Captain Dryden is not beyond physical relationships with a woman he desires, but he does expect to honor his marriage vows. We see Society holds no such guidelines for behavior. Jack’s “Puritanical” views appear out of sync with Daphne’s acceptance of what goes on among the ton. In fact, the Prince Regent has chosen Daphne because she has seen him in a VERY compromising situation and has told no one. Her ability to be discreet is as important as Daphne’s impeccable connections.

Bolen’s use of real-life characters adds authenticity to the story line. Princess Caroline, George IV’s estranged wife, is shown in a most deplorable fashion, but the actions fit what history tells us of the woman.

The novel has 31 chapters and the pacing is a bit slow. For example, there is a whole chapter leading up to an attack on Princess Charlotte (the Prince Regent’s daughter), but in reality, that attack occurred previously and was talked about at a ball. The book could use some closer editing. There are scenes which do not advance the main plot. That being said, I would recommend the book to those who enjoy a lighter touch in a Regency romance. The main characters are not snipping at each other throughout which was a welcome change in a Regency plot.  I would give the book a 4 out of 5 stars.


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The Six Princesses – Part III – Princess Elizabeth

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Princess Elizabeth

The Princess Elizabeth was born at Buckingham Palace on 22 May 1770. Her parents were the reigning British monarchs, George III and Queen Charlotte. Frederick Cornwallis, the Archbishop of Canterbury christened her in the Great Council Chamber at St. James Palace on 17 June 1770. Her godparents were The Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Cassel, The Princess of Nassau-Weilburg and The Crown Princess of Sweden (paternal first cousins once-removed).

Elizabeth was a plump girl with artistic tendencies. However, she was often ill. She was often bled for “a scrofulous abscess on her left side.” Because of her frequent illnesses, rumors of concealed pregnancies plagued her. Later, it was disclosed that Elizabeth likely suffered from a mild case of porphyria. The Princess’ upbringing was very sheltered and she spent most of her time with her parents and sisters. King George and Queen Charlotte were keen to shelter their children, particularly the girls. However, in 1812, Princess Elizabeth purchased The Priory at Old Windsor in Berkshire as her private residence.

In 1797, Elizabeth had to appeal to her eldest brother for a loan. She was six hundred pounds in debt. One of the first things that George IV did when he became Prince Regent was to provide larger allowances for his sisters, who had previously received only 1000 pounds per year. Elizabeth was one of George’s two sisters who defied their mother and attended George IV’s first state opening of Parliament after assuming the Regency. His sisters’ moral support was important to allay the propaganda spread against him by his estranged wife Princess Caroline. 

The stout Princess Elizabeth (known to her sisters as Fatima), whose great love of children made it all the more sad that she did not marry until she was forty-eight, sought the support of George, Prince of Wales, in her desire to marry and escape her family. In 1808 she desperately wanted to accept the offer of marriage made by the Duke of Orleans (later King Louis Philippe of France), but his Catholicism and the queen’s opposition confounded her hopes.

When the Duke of Kent had been in Canada (1794), he met the sons of Philippe Égalité, the Duke of Orleans. Philippe had signed his brother’s death warrant. His brother was the King of France, but in the end, he, too, died on the guillotine. The eldest of his sons, Louis Philippe, came to England in 1807, where he renewed his friendship with the Duke of Kent. Soon, he and Elizabeth had agreed to marry, but Queen Charlotte lividly refused. Elizabeth applied to her brother for assistance, but George IV was not Regent and his father was still in command of his senses.

Louis Philippe

Louis Philippe, eventually, traveled to Naples and Sicily, where he married a granddaughter of Empress Maria Theresa. He succeeded to France’s throne in 1830. Elizabeth was eight and thirty when he withdrew to the Continent. Louis married Marie-Amélie, who bore him eight children.

After this incident, Elizabeth accepted her likely spinsterhood. She lived at her cottage on Kew Green. Yet, in 1818, Elizabeth received a proposal from the Hereditary Prince of Hesse-Homburg. She wrote to the Prince Regent regarding the matter. “In our situation, there is nothing but character to look to. I wish to accept his offer. I am no longer young, and fairly feel that having my own home will be a comfort in time.”

The Hereditary Prince was reportedly less than clean with his bodily ablutions. He also stank of tobacco and garlic. Literally, men had to be hired to clean the Prince for his wedding, but Elizabeth wrote, “I am so contented with my lot that I can never be too thankful. Single I should have been wretched.” She was eight and forty at the time.

Elizabeth’s early married life consisted of her thoroughly cleaning her husband’s home, as well as training Frederick VI to better care of his appearance. When her father-in-land passed and Frederick succeeded his father as Landgraf of Hesse-Homburge, Elizabeth shocked many by permitting her mother-in-law to preceed her in ceremonies. Her husband Landgravine inherited many debts, and Elizabeth assumed the fund-raising responsibilities. Remarkably, she did so without hurting her husband’s pride. She outlived both her eldest brother and husband. She died on 10 January 1840 at age 69.

Part IV of the Princess Diaries continues next week.

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The Six Princesses – Part II – Princess Augusta Sophia

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Princess Augusta Sophia

Princess Augusta Sophia was born at Buckingham House, St. James Park, London, the sixth child and second daughter of George III and his wife Queen Charlotte. Frederick Cornwallis, The Archbishop of Canterbury christened the young princess on 6 December 1768 in the Great Council Chamber at St. James Palace. Her godparents were Prince Charles of Mecklenburg (her maternal uncle, who was visiting England), The Queen of Denmark and The Hereditary Duchess of Brunswick-Luneberg (her paternal aunts). When only a month old, Lady Mary Coke declared her “the most beautiful infant I ever saw.”

The family life of the daughters of George III was not, prior to the king’s first serious illness in 1788, an unhappy one. They were spared the strict educational regime and harsh discipline which fell to the lot of their brothers, and under the supervision of a well-loved governess, Lady Charlotte Finch, received lessons in English, French, geography, music, and art. Despite (or perhaps because of) the size of her family Queen Charlotte was not benignly maternal, and her daughters were scared of her, while the king was highly emotionally attached to them, preferring them to his sons, and was reluctant for them to marry and leave home.

Princess Augusta in 1782

A succession of foreign princes made tentative attempts to become suitors to the princesses, but the queen repelled most of their offers, and many were not even passed on to the potential brides. Charlotte, the princess royal, whom the queen held responsible for the conduct of her sisters (who in turn regarded her as a ‘tell-tale’), was the first to succeed in marrying. In 1796 Prince Friedrich of Wurttemberg (1754-1816), a 42-year-old widower whose first wife had died in suspicious circumstances, made an offer; the king gave reluctant consent to the match, and the wedding took place on 18 May 1797. Unfortunately, the Princess Royal’s escape from her parents did not open the door for her sisters.

Princess Augusta reported had been a great comfort to her mother during the trying times of the King’s illness. She even slept in a tent bed in the Queen’s room as company and as protection from the King’s ramblings. However, Princess Augusta Sophia was three and forty when George III was finally declared insane in 1811. The following year, she wrote her brother, the Prince Regent, and begged him to arrange a secret marriage for her with an English military officer with whom she had been in love for years.

Augusta had met an Irish career officer called Brent Spencer. He was the son of a country squire and had joined the army when he was but seventeen. Spencer had served with the Duke of York in Holland in 1799. Later, he served with distinction in Egypt, before returning to England in 1805, where he appointed equerry to the King and given a promotion to major general. In 1807, Spencer led a surprise attack on Copenhagen, and served in the Peninsular War as second in command to Sir Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington). Upon his retirement in 1811, Spencer was made a general. After his years of service, he bought a small estate at Lee, close to Windsor.

In 1812, Augusta wrote her appeal to her brother. She shared with George IV how her affections had remained true for the twelve years of her acquaintance with Spencer. She begged the Prince Regent to sanction a waiver of the Royal Marriage Act and to intercede with Queen Charlotte. “I am certain the Queen cannot approve if she merely thinks of my birth and station, but when she considers the character of the man, the faithfulness and length of our attachment, the struggles that I have been compelled to make, never retracting from any of my duties, I am sure that she will say that long and great has been my trial, and correct has been my conduct. I am proud of possessing the affection and good opinion of an honest man and highly distinguished character, and I am sure that what you can do to make us happy, you will not leave undone.”

We are not aware of what measures George IV took in behalf of his sister, but he always loved his sisters thoroughly. When his daughter, Charlotte, died in childbirth, he chose Spencer to carry the news to Windsor. Spencer was installed as a Knight of the Bath in 1817. His relationship with Princess Augusta could never be a public one, and the couple appeared to accept the situation. When Queen Charlotte died in 1818, Augusta inherited a house and farm at Frogmore. She moved to the property after her father’s death in 1820.

We can only hope that Augusta found some happiness at this point in her life. Perhaps, Spencer attended upon her there. He died in 1828, while Augusta lived on until 1840.

Return tomorrow for Part III on Princess Elizabeth.

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A Princesses’ Life is Not All It’s Cracked Up to Be

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

With the marriage of Kate Middleton to her Prince William, the public’s view of life in the Royal Court became more idealized. However, those of us who study the Royals of the Regency Period know that being a princess does not necessarily mean someone lives “happily ever after.” Meet The Princess Royal, Charlotte Augusta Matilda, the eldest daughter of George III of England.

Queen Charlotte with her first daughter, Princess Charlotte

George III and Queen Charlotte beget a total of 15 children: nine sons and six daughters. Life in the royal household was anything but ideal. Reportedly, the boys were often beaten for the least infraction, but they also had their “freedom.” So, despite George III’s “whip hand,” the king’s sons were given money and their own residences, some receiving these liberties as early as age eleven. The King’s daughters, however, were kept at home under the watchful eye of both parents. The diarist, Fanny Burney, wrote, “Never in tale or fable were there six sister Princesses more lovely.” However, late marriages and spinsterhood plagued all six.

One of the issues that kept the daughters out of the marriage ring was their parents’ insistence that the girls marry men whose politics aligned with the King and Queen’s. Therefore, the princesses were rarely out in Society. Obviously, the girls could not be seen dancing with someone of the Whigs party. Only the daughters of loyal Tories were ever invited to Windsor. Queen Charlotte remained quite adamant in that matter.

Princess Charlotte in 1769

Most experts agree that Queen Charlotte’s allegiance to her husband doomed the girls. Although King George III loved his daughters, he did not want them to marry. Repots say that before in went mad in 1788 that the King apologized to his daughters for not finding them appropriate husbands. The King’s madness and the French Revolution kept the girls at home until their mother’s watchful eye. Queen Charlotte feared her husband’s illness may have passed to her children, and she watched them carefully for early signs of the disease.

Several hopefuls applied for the girls, but each was turned away. Charlotte Augusta Matilda, the oldest of the daughters and known as the Princess Royal to distinguish her from her mother, was two and twenty when her father displayed signs of his madness in 1788. No talk of marriage was possible during these trying times. However, when the King took a turn for the better in 1789, the royal court received new offers of marriage. Denmark, Brunswick, Wurttemberg, and Orange sent inquiries, but the King continued to turn down all offers.

Frederick I of Wurttemberg

The Prince of Wales attempted to arrange a marriage for the Princess Royal to the heir to the Duke of Oldenburg, but those plans were thwarted. Finally, at the age of nine and twenty, the Hereditary Prince of Wurttemberg approached her father about a possible match. Immensely fat, the Prince was no great prize. He was forty when they married. He had been married previously, and after bearing an illegitimate child in Russia, his wife had died under “suspicious” circumstances. The former Princess had been George III’s niece, daughter to his sister Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick. Therefore, King George insisted on clearing the Prince’s name before he would allow his daughter to marry the man.

On 18 May 1797 (after the Prince had been cleared), the Princess Royal, age 30, and her groom, Prince Frederick, who had turned forty, were finally permitted to marry. Princess Charlotte left England, never to see her dear father again. Charlotte was happy in her new home, and although her only child was stillborn, she happily became stepmother to her husband’s children. Prince Frederick succeeded his father as the reigning Duke of Wurttemberg on 22 December 1797. Charlotte courageously faced the ravages of the European continent during the Napoleonic era. Having previously fled the French several times, she received the conquering Napoleon with dignity when he marched into Wurttemberg in 1805. Duke Frederick ceded Montbeliard to France before assuming the titled of Elector of Wurttemberg, but Napoleon named Frederick King of Wurttemberg on 26 December 1805. Electress Charlotte became Queen on 1 January 1806. The action further alienated the former Princess Royal from her English family. Wurttemberg had joined Napoleon’s short-lived Confederation of the Rhine, which made the country an enemy of England and George III.

Queen Charlotte of Wurttemberg

To reciprocate, the new Queen arranged a match between her stepdaughter Catherine and Napoleon’s brother Jerome, which made Catherine Queen of the new Kingdom of Westphalia. In 1813, with Napoleon’s losses, Wurttemberg changed sides in the continuing conflict. In 1814, George IV invited his sister Charlotte to England for the victory celebrations, but Frederick refused to permit her to go. He remained affronted by his wife’s family abandonment. Charlotte pretended an illness rather than to embarrass all involved with her refusal to attend.

When Frederick died in 1816, Charlotte maintained that she had been happy with the man. To honor her marriage vows, she wore black for the rest of her days. The Dowager Queen of Wurttemberg lived out her days in Stuttgart. Occasionally, she hosted visits from her brothers, the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Sussex, and the Duke of Cambridge, as well as Princess Augusta Sophia. By proxy, she was godmother to her niece, Princess Victoria of Kent, the future Queen Victoria. The year before she died in 1828, she returned to England for surgery for dropsy. Unfortunately, for her sisters, Charlotte’s successful marriage did nothing for their own prospects. The King and Queen used the dangers in which Charlotte found herself during the Napoleonic era as reason not to permit her sisters of making an appropriate match.

Return tomorrow for a look at Charlotte’s sisters and their disastrous attempts at finding love.

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Sally Smith O’Rourke’s “The Man Who Loved Jane Austen”

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

The Man Who Loved Jane Austen by Sally Smith O’Rourke, Kensington Books (copyright 2006), ISBN 0-7582-1037-X

Front and Back Flaps: What if you found a 200-year-old love letter written from a fictional character to the writer who created him? And what if, next to that letter, was another addressed to this character…from the author herself? Truth may be stranger than fiction, but one woman is about to find out what happens when fiction becomes truth…

New York artist Eliza Knight certainly did not realize it at the time, but her life changed when she bought the old, beat-up vanity table one lazy Sunday afternoon. Tucked away behind the mirror she found two letters, one sealed, but one already opened:

“May 12th, 1810. Dearest Jane, the Captain has found me out. I am being forced to go into hiding immediately. But if I am able, I shall still be waiting at the same spot tonight. Then you will know everything you wish to know. F. Darcy.”

F. Darcy? Fitzwilliam Darcy, the fictional hero of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice? Even more mysterious was the other letter, sealed and never read – from Jane to Darcy. Could this man, possibly the most romantic character even written and the hero of Eliza’s favorite novel, have been a real person? Eliza’s initial guarded curiosity turns to astonishment as scientific testing confirms the sealed letter was indeed addressed by Jane Austen. But she is completely baffled by the revelation that the other letter, though proven to be from the same time period, was written by an American.

Caught between the routine of her present life and the intrigue of these incredible discoveries from the past, Eliza decides to look deeper. Her research leads to a majestic, 200-year-old estate where she meets the one man who may hold the answer. But he also has a secret, one he has kept hidden for years. Now, as the real story of Fitzwilliam Darcy unfolds, Eliza finds her life has become a modern-day romance, one that perhaps only Jane Austen herself could have so eloquently written.

O’Rourke’s novel alternates between the past and the present. Eliza meets a man named Fitzwilliam Darcy in Virginia. What she does not know is the current F. Darcy has had an unusual experience on a horse buying trip to England. He jumps his hunter over the barrier and travels back to Jane Austen’s time. The sealed letter can bring Eliza a fortune, but it might be difficult for Darcy to explain how he met Jane Austen and fell in love. He wants the letter as a symbol of requited love.

I found it clever to include Jane Austen as one of the book’s characters, and I enjoyed O’Rourke’s look at Austen’s life. (When the movie “Becoming Jane” came out, I thought of many of the scenes from this novel. There is a similar attitude.) One can find expert plotting, and this is an easy read that pays tribute to Jane Austen’s ideals of romantic love. (As in many modern adaptations, there is some sexual content.)

Ms. O’Rourke will be one of our guest bloggers on AustenAuthors.net in March. I hope everyone will join us then.

Again, this is one of my favorite Austen-inspried books. Although it is 5 years old, one might still find it on used books sites. It does have a new cover and can be found on Amazon and B&N.

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