Chapter I: Introduction

If there be a story which may be supposed to be thoroughly familiar to the reading public, it is surely that of the Queen of Denmark, who is believed to have loved not wisely but too well. The fate of Struensee has supplied the motive for countless works more or less historical, for novels, and even for an opera. Hence it might reasonably be assumed that the man who ventured on intruding on the English public another work on such a thoroughly worn-out topic, must be either very impudent or very foolish; and yet I have ventured to do so through neither of these failings, but for reasons which have been duly weighed, and which appear to my mind to convey their justification.

The first of these motives is, that within a very recent period a perfectly new light has been thrown on the whole affair, by permission being granted to examine the privy archives of Copenhagen. From these I have been enabled to derive the hitherto unpublished documents and reports of the judges, and thus prove on what worthless evidence the divorce of the queen was passed. At the same time, a great deal of fresh matter has been rendered available about the two unhappy men who fell victims to a mistaken sense of justice.

The late King of Denmark, who wisely thought that publicity was the best safeguard of thrones, also allowed the "Mémoires de mon Temps" of the Landgrave Charles of Hesse Cassel, brother-in-law of Christian VII., to be printed for private circulation. I have been enabled to procure a copy of this work through the kindness of Baron von JENSSEN TUSCH, who obtained it from the Prince of Augustenburg; and the many curious details of the Court of Denmark it contains have been woven largely into my text. Another work which has afforded me very material assistance is the "Memoirs of Reverdil, Secretary to Christian VII.," which appeared two or three years ago, but is little known in this country.

Lastly, the private journals of Sir N. W. Wraxall have been laid under contribution to a great extent. It was made known by the publication of the "Post-humous Memoirs" that he had been connected with the Queen of Denmark, but it was only during last year that I discovered how much my grandfather knew of the affair, and how well he had kept silence on the subject. I have ransacked his journals, correspondence, &c., in the interests of the present work, and these have enabled me, I hope, to bring together much not hitherto known, or, if known, forgotten.

As a humble follower of Lord Macaulay, I have also recognised the value of pamphlets and chap-books, and have been able to obtain, with some cost and trouble, nearly everything published on the palace revolution during 1772 and 1773, in Germany, Denmark, and England. I have also considered it my duty to consult every work at all connected with the subject, and do not think that any one has been omitted.

Whether it has been in my power to prove the innocence of the Queen of Denmark is a question for my readers to decide. I, however, take some credit to myself for publishing for the first time the letter which she wrote on her death-bed to her brother. This letter passed through the hands of the late King of Hanover to the Duchess of Augustenburg, from whom my copy is derived.

Lastly, I have to return my hearty thanks to the many kind friends, at home and abroad, who have aided me in my researches, or directed me where to make them. I should be most ungrateful if I did not single out MR. EMANUEL DEUTSCH, of the British Museum, who examined the MSS. department thoroughly on my behalf, even though he drew a blank. The same, I regret to say, proved the case at the State Paper Office, while the Foreign Office, where there was a prospect of a successful find in the despatches of Messieurs Gunning and Keith, remained hermetically closed to me. It was some compensation for this refusal to find SIR AUGUSTUS PAGET, our envoy at Copenhagen, at all times ready to assist me, and even to procure me scarce books from the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs. It is but fair to add, that all the officials of our Foreign Office to whom I applied in turn for admission to their archives, deplored their inability to break through a rule which, for the interests of honest literary research, would be far more honoured in the breach than in the observance.

LASCELLES WRAXALL.

CONTENTS OF VOL. I.

CHAPTER I.

AUGUSTA, PRINCESS OF WALES.

PAGE

Death of the Prince of Wales--His Character--His Epitaph--The
Eighteenth Century--Birth of Caroline Matilda--Lord
Bute--Melcombe's Diary--The Great No-Popery Cry--Character
of George III.--Majority of the Prince of Wales--Court
Cabals--Miss Chudleigh--Horace, Prince of Scandalia 1

CHAPTER II.

MARRIAGE OF CAROLINE MATILDA.

The Youth of Caroline Matilda--Memoirs of an Unfortunate
Queen--Education of the Princess--Specimens of her
Correspondence--Proposal of Marriage--Caroline Matilda's
Feelings--The Royal Assent--Death of the King of Denmark--Public
Opinion--The Marriage Portion--The Marriage--Farewell to
England--Landing in Denmark--Enthusiastic Reception 33

CHAPTER III.

THE DANISH COURT.

Birth of Christian VII.--Death of his Mother--Juliana Maria--The
Chronique Scandaleuse--A Severe Task-Master--The
Prince's Education--Reverdil--Curious Delusions--The
King's Illness and Death--Accession of Christian--Court
Intrigues--The Triumvirate--Royal Marriages 50

CHAPTER IV.

THE HAPPY COUPLE.

The Meeting at Roeskilde--Entrance into Copenhagen--The
Queen's Household--The Royal Family--Court Amusements--Travelling
Impressions--The Coronation--The First Quarrel--The
King goes to Holstein--Death of the Duke of York--Milady--Reverdil
leaves the Court--The New Favourite--Strange
Conduct of the King 83

CHAPTER V.

THE KING ON HIS TRAVELS.

Birth of the Crown Prince--Behaviour of the King--Removal of
Milady--Enevold Brandt--Dismissal of the Grande Maîtresse--Baron
Schimmelmann--Brandt's Attack on Holck--His
Banishment--The King's Journey--The Holstein-Gottorp
Exchange--Struensee appointed Physician--Arrival in England 108

CHAPTER VI.

CHRISTIAN IN ENGLAND.

George III.--The Journey to Town--The Stable Yard--Horace
Walpole--The First Meeting of the Kings--The Princess of
Wales--Festivities--Christian made a D.C.L.--The City
Banquet--The Bill of Fare--The Ball in the Haymarket--Christian
takes Leave--Anecdotes 134

CHAPTER VII.

CHRISTIAN IN PARIS.

Caroline Matilda at Home--Court Intrigues--France under
Louis XV.--Manners of the Eighteenth Century--The Dubarry--French
Ladies--Casanova--Louis XV. and Christian--Festivities--Poetical
Flummery--Christian's Private
Amusements--The Homeward Journey--Return to Copenhagen 159

CHAPTER VIII.

JOHN FREDERICK STRUENSEE.

The Interim Ministry--State of the Nation--The King's Health--The
Duke of Gloucester--Struensee--His Education and
Career--His Friends--Schack zu Rantzau--The Travelling
Surgeon--The Court Doctor--The Parties at Court--Plans of
Caroline Matilda 188

CHAPTER IX.

THE COURT DOCTOR.

The Queen's Illness--The New Doctor--The Favourite--Court
Revels--The Small-Pox--The Queen's Friend--A Trip to
Holstein--Recall of Brandt--Sad Scenes at Court--Downfall
Holck--Rantzau-Ascheberg--The Foreign Envoys--Presentation
of Colours 215

CHAPTER X.

THE QUEEN'S FRIEND.

The Princess of Wales--Mother and Daughter--George III.--The
Cabal--The War with Algiers--The Palace of Hirschholm--Fall
of the Premier--Proposed Reforms--Struensee's
Maxims--The Council of State--The Royal Hunt--A Lovely
Woman--Brandt's Folly 246

CHAPTER XI.

THE MASTER OF REQUESTS.

Education of the Crown Prince--Frederick VI.--Condition of
the King--A Royal Squabble--The Swedish Princes--The
Foundling Hospital--Count von der Osten--The Empress
Catharine--Suppression of the Privy Council--The Grand
Vizier--The Council of Conferences--The Free Press 286

CHAPTER XII.

THE GREAT REFORMER.

Establishment of the Lottery--The King's Birthday--The Order
of Matilda--Von Falckenskjold--The Russian Quarrel--The
Civic Council--Court Retrenchment--The College of
Finances--Rosenborg Gardens--The Gardes du Corps--Struensee's
Pusillanimity--Negociations with Russia--Rumours of War 311

CHAPTER XIII.

THE CABINET MINISTER.

Birth of a Princess--The Cabinet Minister--The Lex Regia--General
Dissatisfaction--The New Counts--Struensee's Coat
of Arms--Foreign Affairs--A Favourite has no Friends--The
German Grievance--A Dangerous Foe--Ingratitude of Brandt--Return
of Reverdil--Arrival at Court--Homicidal Mania--The
King of Prussia--Habits of the Court--The Prince
Royal 342

LIFE AND TIMES

OF

CAROLINE MATILDA.