The Mary Hamilton Papers : Copy of letter from Mary Hamilton to Charlotte Finch

Hamilton, Mary

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Copy of letter from Mary Hamilton to Charlotte Finch. Until she sees Finch and her son back safe in England Hamilton will always be anxious although her last letters have given all at Windsor some comfort. She notes that Miss G[oldsworthy] has written to Finch with news of the family at Windsor so it is not necessary for her to do so. Continuing writing her letter the following day she updates Finch on the health of Miss Goldsworthy who has now been confined for over a month. Hamilton writes that she had been busy the whole summer stating at 7 in the morning until 11.30 at night, she has ‘not known what it is to be quite alone’, which has made finding time for writing difficult. She reports that Lady Juliana Penn was with the King and Queen yesterday evening and on Saturday and looks very well. She provides an anecdote of Princess Mary who when Lady Penn came last night said that she is so glad that Lady Sally ‘is come’. One of her sisters said that she must call her Lady Juliana. Princess Mary replied ‘I don’t care how I call her – God bless her I love her, she is so like Dearest’. Hamilton informs Finch that she has passed on her acknowledgement to the Prince of Wales and he presents his love to you. She reports that he has begun shooting and is enjoying it. He passed her that morning when she was on her way to chapel as he ‘has quite left off attending dawn service’. On Sunday mornings the King and Queen and princesses attend both Chapel and the Cathedral. Hamilton continues on the sermon and on Lady Dartrey being the Queen’s guest at Windsor. Hamilton writes that she was pleased to be under the same roof as Lady Dartrey for six days but that in all that time she was not able to have a private conversation with her.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Hamilton continues on her routine at Court and news of the Royal Family. The King and Queen went to see the Beggars Opera but they thought it not appropriate for the princesses to attend. The letter also provides news of friends. Lady Weymouth has had a baby and both are as well as possible. The Bishop of Bristol and Mrs Newton never fail to ask for accounts from Lisbon when they are at Kew. Hamilton notes that it would considerably lengthen her letter if she listed all who have made enquiries about her.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Writing on the 4 September, Hamilton notes that Miss Goldsworthy wished her to inform Finch that she has not been able to write for a fortnight because of her health and the ‘perpetual blister’, which prevents her stooping to write. She writes that she is now much better and will write shortly. Hamilton continues to give an account of the Prince of Wales birthday. He made an appearance at Chapel in the morning and the Ladies wore hats and smart polonaise with their hair well dressed. All the princesses wore a rose colour trimmed with gauze. The Prince took breakfast with the King and Queen. Hamilton believes that dressing took up the majority of time until 2 o’clock when everyone assembled and attended the King and Queen through a crowd of people to the Castle. They then went to the Prince of Wales apartments which was decorated in an ‘elegant manner’. The Prince was not ready to receive his parents but his Lords and gentlemen attended them. When the Prince entered a regiment which was quartered at Windsor were drawn up before the windows and carried out the ‘usual ceremony of firing’. The Queen gave the Prince a present of ‘a simple Brilliant for his stock’. There was a dinner in the Round Tower with 33 people attending. Windsor was so crowded that accommodation could not be found for almost half. Those ‘that did find accommodation were obliged to pay at an enormous rate’. At 6 o’clock Hamilton notes that we went to the Castle. In the first room was a concert performed by the Queen’s Band who were playing Bach, Abel and so on. There was also a German Band. This entertainment carried on until 8 o’clock by which time the King and Queen and twelve of the Royal children as well as some others went to the audience chamber and then on to the Ball. The whole of the Royal apartment were open and had card tables. At a little after 12 o’clock they had supper. Hamilton describes in detail the decoration of the supper room and the supper itself which lasted two hours. The Ball ended at 6 o’clock in the morning. The dancers wore polonaises, ‘the other Ladies negligence without long lappets’. Hamilton describes the clothes of the ladies and notes that many of the gentleman wore full dress uniform.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Hamilton ends her letter with the hope that Finch will not find it dull and that by the time she receives it that Mrs Fielding is with her in Caldas.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Windsor.</p>