The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton and John Dickenson

Napier, Francis Scott, 8th Lord

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Francis Napier, 8th Lord Napier, to Mary Hamilton and John Dickenson, relating to their daughter Louisa's presentation at Court. He writes first to Hamilton and then to Dickenson.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Hamilton did not attend, possibly because she was suffering from gout. Napier is in no doubt that the princesses examined Louisa from head to foot and he does not approve of them not sending a 'kind' word to Hamilton. He teases that they ought to have 'least pretended to be interested in her'. To Dickenson Napier writes that he is glad that the Queen has seen Louisa and that she owes Louisa 'some kindness, for the torment her mother had, in her service' and he wishes that 'she had graciously condescended, at least, to have expressed her appreciation of Mrs D'. He wished he had been a member of the party so he could have fixed his eye on the Queen and brought back to her memory the conversations they had on Hamilton.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Queen Street [Edinburgh].</p>