Queen's Devotion: The Story of Queen Mary II (William's Wife) by Jean Plaidy

Author:Jean Plaidy [Plaidy, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction - Historical, England/Great Britain, Royalty, 17th Century
ISBN: 978-0307409225
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Published: 1992-02-05T05:00:00+00:00

ANNE WAS MARRIED TO GEORGE OF DENMARK. How I wished I could have been present in the Chapel Royal at St. James’s on that day. By all accounts she had quickly forgotten Mulgrave and was perfectly contented with the bridegroom they had given her. How rarely that happened, and how blessed were those to whom it did!

Anne would sail through life as she always had done, apart from that minor upset over Mulgrave which she should have known was doomed from the start.

Sarah Churchill was with her and would remain so. Anne would arrange that and Sarah would agree, because of the advantages her position brought her.

Meanwhile, I must pursue my quiet life, reading, painting, walking, seeing few people but those in my immediate circle.

It was with great sorrow that I heard that the Duke of Monmouth was suspected of having been concerned in the Rye House Plot.

I believed he was genuinely fond of his father; he had always shown a great affection for him. I knew that he and my father were not good friends. I was sure Jemmy thought my father a fool to parade his Catholicism as he did; and, of course, my father was not pleased to see Jemmy appearing in public with the airs and grace of a Prince of Wales, as though the role were his by right.

Now Jemmy was in trouble. He had been in trouble before but the King had always been lenient and again and again he had been forgiven. Jemmy possessed the Stuart charm in great measure and was like his father in many ways—alas, though, he lacked his wisdom.

He could scarcely be forgiven this time. Sidney and Russell had been executed for their part in the plot, so how could Jemmy go free? The King did what he always did in such a situation. He prevaricated. There was no imprisonment for Jemmy, but he was sent into exile. Brussels seemed the natural haven and to that city he came.

William made sure that he was given a welcome when he eventually arrived in Holland, and this was noted and commented on.

I was told that when the King heard of it, he was highly amused and in his dry way commented that he was surprised that the Duke of Monmouth and the Prince of Orange could be such friends when they were both pursuing the same mistress—by which he meant the English crown.

There was uneasiness everywhere. Everyone waited for what would happen next. I wondered how my uncle felt, knowing they were all thinking of his death. I could imagine the regrets he would feel that he would not be there to see the results of their actions.

Algernon Sidney had been replaced as English Envoy by Thomas Chudleigh who was not accepted very graciously by William. Chudleigh had been sent to be watchful, for William’s preference for Sidney and Russell was well known.

Chudleigh joined the set who were complaining about the Prince’s treatment of me, and who were still writing to England about it.

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