Collection | Diaries, essays and notes of Queen Charlotte |
Description | This diary is a factual account of Queen Charlotte's daily activities rather than a record of her thoughts and feelings. The diary has been catalogued to pick out key events or interesting entries as such not every day has an entry recorded below although Queen Charlotte has typically recorded each day in the diary.
This diary sees the Royal Family splitting their time as follows: Windsor, 7 - 18 June; London, 19 - 20 Jun; Windsor, 21 - 26 June; Portsmouth, 27 - 30 June; Windsor, 1 - 2 July; Kew, 3 - 4 July; Windsor, 5 - 16 July; Kew, 17 - 18 July; Windsor, 19 - 30 July; Kew, 31 July - 1 August; Windsor, 2 - 15 August.
Due to Charlotte's sometimes idiosyncratic spellings and to enable greater discoverability, the names of people and places have been corrected and expanded in square brackets using the published edition of the diaries (see below) which contains further notes on people, places, and events mentioned.
13 June (f 4 v, f 5 r) - visit to Lady Bulkley in Old Windsor; visit from the Duchess of York; visit to Frogmore 14 June (f 4 v, f 5 r, f 6 r) - goes to Early Prayers; 'the Kg acquainted me that Mr [George Augustus] Best the German Secretary had brought the account of My Brother the Dukes Death'; visits Frogmore; visit from the Duchess of York 17 June (f 6 v, f 7) - visits Frogmore; Lord Chatham dines 18 June (f 7 v, f 9 r) - leaves Windsor for London; visit from the Duke of Gloucester; visit from Lady Cremorne; visit from Lady Cathcart and family; visit from [George Adams junior]; 'saw all my Jewels packed up'; 'we begun Our Mourning to Day' 20 June (f 7 v, f 8 v, f 10 r, f 11 r)- visit from Dr Gisborne; visit from Mr Thomas Willis; leaves London for Windsor; walks on Terrace 21 June (f 8 v, f 11 r, f 12 r) - 'At 8 this Morning my Son Ernest arrived from Flanders on account of a Contusion in His left Arm. He went with Us to early Prayers & so did Captain Ramdohr who attends Him'; visit to Frogmore; walks on Terrace 22 June (f 12 r, f 13 r) - goes to Cathedral; visit from 'little Louise Brussels'; visit from the Duke of Clarence; walks on Terrace 24 June (f 14 r, f 15 r) - goes to Ascot Races; 'went the first time the New Road the Kg has made which leads to the Race Ground'; on arrival meets Lord [Sandwich] and Mr Robertson; 'drove about the Race Grounds, where Elyzabeth had very nearly been overturned owing to the Horse taking fright at the Drums'; dines with the Prince of Wales; visit from Lady Courtown
No entries from 26-30 June 'when we set off for Portsmouth to the 30th when we returned by 10 at Night' (f 17 r)
2 July (f 17 r, f 18 r) - leaves Windsor for Kew; visit from the Duke of Gloucester and Princess Sophia; visit from Lady Bath and Lady [Harriet Thynne]. Note of a duel fought between Lord [Tankerville] and [Edward Bouverie] 4 July (f 11 v, f 20 r, f 21 r) - visit from the Duchess of York; visit from Lady Cardigan, Lady Sidney, and Lady Caroline Waldegrave; leaves Kew for Windsor; visit from the Duke of Gloucester and Princess Sophia; visit to Frogmore 5 July (f 21 r) - visit to the Great Park stopping 'at the Shephers Cottage, at the [Norfolk] Farm, & through the Private Drives drove to the Great Lodge'; visit from the Prince of Wales; walks on Terrace 7 July (f 22 r, f 23 r) - goes to the Great Park; 'after that we had the Great ['Great' crossed out] Pond near the Great Lodge Diched'; drives about the Park; dines at the Great Lodge; returns to Windsor 11 July (f 13v, f 25 r) - visit to Oatlands to see the Duchess of York; dines at the Castle. King prorogues Parliament 12 July (f 25 r, f 26 r) - breakfasts at Lord Boston's in [Hedsor]; visit to Clifton House; 'from thence we walked to the Spring, where every thing was prepared for Dinner...by 5 we went by Water to Bone end a Garden belonging to Lord Boston'; returns to Windsor 14 July (f 13 v, f 27 r) - visit to Frogmore; dines at the Castle; walks; visit from Lord Hartford, Sir John Ramsden, and Mr Merill 17 July (f 14 v, f 15 v, f 29 r, f 30 r) - goes to the Queen's House; goes to St James's; visit to the Duchess of [Buccleuch] 18 July (f 15 v, f 31 r, f 32 r) - visit from Mr Best and Captain ?Offeney; visit from Dr Willis; drives to Richmond Garden; leaves Kew for Windsor; goes to the Castle 21 July (f 15 v, f 33 r, f 34 r)- visit to Frogmore; dines at the Castle; arrival of General de Budé 24 July (f 16 v, f 35 r, f 36 r) - visit to Frogmore; visit from Lord Morton; dines at the Castle; walks on the Terrace 27 July (f 37 r, f 38 r) - goes to the Cathedral; visit from the Duke of Gloucester and his daughter; dines at the Castle; visit from Lord Chesterfield 30 July (f 39 r) - leaves Windsor for Kew; visit from Mr Hays; 'at 7 we went in the Sociable to Richmond Park' 31 July (f 17 v, f 39 r, f 40 r) - 'After Breakfast we went with the [King] to see the House he purchased upon the Green of the Rnd Mr [Thomas Methold] & found both Him & Mrs [Maria Methold] & their Infant Son [Thomas Methold] there'; goes to the Queen's House; goes to St James's; leaves London for Kew
2 August (f 41 r) - visit to Frogmore; dines at the Castle; visit from Mr [Arthur] and Mrs Stanhope 4 August (f 42 r) - visit to Sir George Howard in Stoke; dines at the Castle; walks on the Terrace 5 August (f 42 r, f 43 r) - visit to Frogmore; dines at the Castle; visit from Miss [Ann] Ives; walks on the Terrace |
Custodial History | Transferred from the Royal Library, 1965 |