Childhood at Court, 1819-1914 Read Online Free PDF Page B

anatomy, the latter of which she found ‘very disagreeable’.
    Her adolescence coincided with a gradual liberalization in outlook towards children’s literature. With the influence of the Romantic movement in the fine arts, classical influences were being replaced by those of German and Nordic culture. Modern fairy tales, particularly those of the Brothers Grimm, first published in English translation in 1823, were becoming more respectable. While the old-fashioned might deride them as unsuitable, largely on the grounds that their sense of fantasy might prove frightening, the old arguments about their being immoral or contrary to reason had lapsed. The historical novel and adventure story both came into their own, particularly with the books of Walter Scott. Popularly regarded as the ‘American Scott’ was James Fenimore Cooper, whose Last of the Mohicans was reportedly the first novel the Princess read. She found it ‘very interesting’ and ‘very horrible’. Cooper’s tales of the conflict of wild and civilized races, Indians and whites, still had enough underlying moral tone, but as robust adventure stories they were at the same time more appealing to the young mind, and the occasional ‘very horrible’ element surely served some purpose in preparing children for adult life.
    Scott’s novels were written mainly for an adult readership. The first British adventure stories written specially for children were Captain Marryat’s Peter Simple (published in 1834) and Mr Midshipman Easy (1836). In a sense they still fulfilled a didactic purpose, with their patriotic appeal in praise of the Navy and the seafaring life, but as adventure stories they appealed greatly to boys.
    The Princess also studied the great poets, especially Pope, Gray, Cowper, Goldsmith, ‘parts of’ Virgil in Latin, and Sir Walter Scott, the latter being the only one she really enjoyed. The magical simplicity of Maria Edgeworth’s Popular Tales pleased her more than ‘many a novel’.
    Opera and ballet interested her increasingly. Her idol was Giulia Grisi, one of the foremost young opera singers of her day, and she was thrilled when Grisi came to Kensington Palace to sing on her sixteenth birthday. By this time, she had put her dolls away. Her circle of acquaintances was slowly increasing. At a ball given by King William on her fourteenth birthday, at St James’s Palace, she had opened the dancing with her cousin, Prince George of Cambridge. He was only two months older than her, and his parents hoped that they might soon be betrothed.
    When they returned home, she found consolation in the company of pets. The one thing Conroy did for which she was grateful was to give the Duchess of Kent a King Charles spaniel, Dash, whom the Princess adored, adopted and enjoyed dressing up in scarlet jacket and blue trousers. Dash evidently had a peaceful disposition and put up no resistance to being treated like a four-legged doll. That Christmas she gave him his own presents, three india-rubber balls, and two bits of gingerbread decorated with holly and candles. Whenever she was ill he spent ‘his little life’ in her room with her. In addition she had a horse called Rosa, who like Dash accompanied her on the progresses. Caged birds also lived in the royal quarters at Kensington, in particular a tame old canary which came out of its cage to peck gently at Dash’s fur, and a parakeet which laughed and coughed in faithful imitation of the grown-ups.
    The year of 1835 was to prove a decisive one in the Princess’s childhood. On 30 July she was confirmed at the Chapel Royal, St James’s. The day before, the Duchess of Kent had given her three books to prepare her for the step, two of which she had read by the following day. ‘I felt that my confirmation was one of the most solemn and important events and acts in my life;’ she wrote, ‘and that I trusted it might have a salutary effect on my mind.’ 23 It was overshadowed when the King counted the