' At dinner that evening, in the presence of her betrothed, the
Princess was `flippant, rattling, affecting wit.' Poor George, I say
again! Deportment was his ruling passion, and his bride did not know
how to behave. Vulgarity--hard, implacable, German vulgarity--was in
everything she did to the very day of her death. The marriage was
solemnised on Wednesday, April 8th, 1795, and the royal bridegroom was
drunk.
So soon as they were separated, George became implected with a morbid
hatred for his wife, which was hardly in accord with his light and
variant nature and shows how bitterly he had been mortified by his
marriage of necessity. It is sad that so much of his life should have
been wasted in futile strainings after divorce. Yet we can scarcely
blame him for seizing upon every scrap of scandal that was whispered
of his wife. Besides his not unnatural wish to be free, it was
derogatory to the dignity of a prince and a regent that his wife
should be living an eccentric life at Blackheath with a family of
singers named Sapio. Indeed, Caroline's conduct during this time was
as indiscreet as ever. Wherever she went she made ribald jokes about
her husband, `in such a voice that all, by-standing, might hear.'
`After dinner,' writes one of her servants, `Her Royal Highness made a
wax figure as usual, and gave it an amiable pair of large horns; then
took three pins out of her garment and stuck them through and through,
and put the figure to roast and melt at the fire.
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