Jean Plaidy - Courting Her Highness: The Story of Queen Anne

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 1966 by Jean Plaidy, copyright renewed 1994 by Mark Hamilton

Excerpt from Royal Sisters copyright 1966 by Jean Plaidy, copyright renewed 1994 by Mark Hamilton

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Broadway Paperbacks, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
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Broadway Paperbacks and its logo, a letter B bisected on the diagonal, are trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Originally published in hardcover in slightly different form as The Queens Favourites in Great Britain by Robert Hale Limited, London, in 1966, and in hardcover in the United States by G.P. Putnams Sons, New York, in 1978.

This book contains an excerpt from the recent Broadway Paperbacks reprint of Royal Sisters by Jean Plaidy, which was originally published as The Haunted Sisters by Robert Hale Limited, London, in 1966. This excerpt has been set for this edition only and may not reflect the final content of the edition.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

eISBN: 978-0-307-88843-3

Cover design by Laura Duffy
Cover photography by Barry Marcus

v3.1

hen the attention of Lady Marlborough was called to her impecunious relations, the Hills, she looked upon the entire subject as a trivial inconvenience, although latermuch latershe came to realize that it was one of the mostperhaps the mostimportant moments of her brilliant career.

In the first place it was meant to be an insult, but one which she had brushed aside as she would a tiresome gnat at a picnic party.

The occasion had been the birthday of the Princess Anne, and on that day Her Highnesss complete attention had been given to her son, the young Duke of Gloucester. Annes preoccupation with that boy, although understandable, for he was the only one of her children who had survived after countless pregnanciesat least Lady Marlborough had lost count, for there must have been a dozen to datewas a source of irritation. Before the boys birth, Sarah Churchill, Lady Marlborough, had become accustomed to demanding the whole of the Princesss attention, and the friendship between them was the wonder and speculation of all at Court; when they were together Anne and Sarah were Mrs. Morley and Mrs. Freeman respectively, because Anne wished there to be no formality to mar their absolute intimacy. But since the boy had been born, although the friendship had not diminished, Annes first love was for her son, and when she went on and on about my boy Sarah felt as though she could scream.

Thus it had been at the birthday celebrations; the boy was to have a formal introduction to the Court, and for the occasion Anne had ordered that a special costume be made for him; and she had had the absurd idea of decking him out in her own jewels. Anne herself did not greatly care for ceremonial occasions; she was far more comfortable reclining on her couch, with a cup of chocolate in her hand or a dish of sweetmeats beside her, entertaining herself with the cards or gossip. But she wanted my boy as she, to Sarahs exasperation, constantly referred to him, to look magnificent.

Poor little wretch! thought Sarah, who delighted in applying terms of contempt to persons in high places. He needed to be adorned. When she compared him with her own handsome sonJohn after his fatherwho was a few years older than the young Duke, she wanted to crow with triumph. In fact it was all she could do to prevent herself calling Annes attention to the difference in the two boys. When she brought young John to Court, as she intended to quite soon, Anne would see for herself what a difference there was between the two.

But young Gloucester, in spite of his infirmity, was a bright boy. He was alert, extremely intelligent, and the doctors said that the fact that he suffered from water on the brain, far from harming his mind, made it more alert; and so it seemed. He was old for his years; sharp of wits, and to see him drilling the ninety boys in the park whom he called his army, was one of the sights of the Court. All the same, his head was too big for his body and he could not walk straight unless two attendants were close beside him. He was the delight and terror of his parents lifeand no wonder.

There he was on this occasion in a coat of blue velvet, the button-holes of which were encrusted with diamonds; and about his small person were his mothers jewels. Over his shoulder was the blue ribbon of the Garter which Sarah could never look on without bitterness; she had so wanted the Garter for her dear Marl, her husband, who, she believed, was possessed of genius and could rule the country if he only had a chance. Therefore to see the small figure boasting that he was already a Knight of the Garter was a maddening sight; but when she looked at the white periwig, which added a touch of absurdity, and thought of that huge head beneath it, she was thankful that even if Marlborough had been denied the Garter, even if Dutch William was keeping him in the shadows, at least she had a healthy family; and it was only a matter of waiting for the end of William before, with Annes coming to the throne, they were given what they deserved.

In the royal nursery young Gloucester had displayed the jewel which the King had given him; it was St. George on horseback set with diamonds, a magnificent piece; and it was certainly not Williams custom to be so generous. But like everyone else at Court he had an affection for the little boy who, with his charming eccentricities, had even been able to break through the Kings reserve.

His Majesty gave me this, he said, when he bestowed the Garter on me. He put on the Garter with his own hands which I assure you is most unusual. It is because he holds me in such regard. Am I not fortunate. But I shall repay His Majesty. Look here, Mamma, this is the note I am sending him.

Anne had taken the note and Sarah, with the boys governess, Lady Fitzharding, had looked over her shoulder as she read:

I, Your Majestys most dutiful subject, had rather lose my life in Your Majestys cause than in any mans else, and I hope it will not be long ere you conquer France. We, your Majestys subjects, will stand by you while we have a drop of blood.

Gloucester.

Anne had smiled and looked from Barbara Fitzharding to Sarah. Besottedly, thought Sarah. It was true the boy was precociousbut he was a child. And when he offered his soldiersboys of his own age with toy muskets and swords to the Kingit was a joke and nothing more. But even grim William gravely accepted these offers and came to Kensington to review the small troops. Perhaps, thought Sarah sardonically, this was not so foolish as it seemed; for it was only on such occasions, with the crowd looking on, that he managed to raise a cheer for himself.