Page:The Queens of England.djvu/569

 CAROLINE OF BRUNSWICK. 517 utmost magnificence, at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, the bride being led in the procession by the Dnke 6i Clarence, afterwards William the Fourth. It was indeed this prince's flattering encomiums on Caroline whom he had seen during his frequent visits to Brunswick, that first induced George the Fourth to seek her as his wife. He was told she was strikingly like his favorite sister Mary, which was in his opinion a realiza- tion of all he could desire in the qbject of his choice. On the day of the marriage ceremony the aged king is said to have testi- fied his regard for the bride by several little acts of kindness, greeting her in the hall with a paternal salute, while he squeezed the hand of the Prince of Wales so heartily as to bring tears into his eyes. On the 7th of January, 1796, the Princess of Wales gave birth to a daughter, at Carlton House, who was shortly after baptized under the name of Charlotte Augusta, the sponsors being their Majesties and the Duchess of Brunswick, who was represented by the Princess Royal. This circumstance did not, as might have been expected, more closely unite the affections of Caroline and her husband, who not long after separated from each other's society, and the Princess of Wales resided for some time at Blackheath, in the greatest seclusion. The personal dis- like of the queen to the princess had been obvious on her first arrival in the country, and through this she was almost ex- cluded from the court. Under this painful situation of affairs Caroline devoted herself to the pleasing task of directing the education of her little daughter, whose establishment had been fixed at Shrewsbury House, Blackheath, in her own immediate neighborhood. She was, however, only allowed the satisfaction of visiting her child one day in each week on which joyful oc- casion she was in the habit of examining her progress, and had the pleasure of perceiving that her own instructions had been strictly adhered to. The kindness of George the Third must have been deeply felt by Caroline, who experienced a continuation of his favor and friendship till it was interrupted by his distressing malady. The death of the Duke of Brunswick, her father, at the battle of Jena, 1806, caused the widowed duchess to return to Eng- land, where, on her arrival she repaired to her daughter's resi- dence. She was there visited by George the Third who had not beheld his sister for more than forty years. She was the only surviving princess of his family, and the meeting was painfully affecting on both sides. Nearly ten years had now been passed