John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

21. V:30. Wrote a short second Letter to Mr R. Boyd at Paris, to send by Coll. Drayton, with the balance of a Bill for Articles sent to Mrs Adams. Made up a Packet of despatches for the Secretary of State, and soon after Nine this Morning left home with Mrs Adams and went into London. We stopped at Craven Street— We had expected there would have been a Letter of notice from Lady Castlereagh, to Mrs Adams or from Mr Chester to me, but there was none— Mrs: Adams went to Mrs King’s lodgings 60 Conduit Street to dress— Mr Hartshorn an American called for a Passport, which was given him. He mentioned having once dined with me several years ago, at Mr T. C. Amory’s in Boston— While he was at the office I received a Note from Mr Chester, the assistant Master of the Ceremonies, by his Servant, enquiring whether I had received a note which he had written me yesterday, and whether he might expect me at half past three O’Clock to go to my Audience of the Queen.— I knew not what this could mean. The Drawing Room was appointed for two O’Clock, and I saw my Audience was to be after it; but knew not whether it was understood that Mrs: Adams was to be presented at the Drawing Room, or to wait for Another— I apologized to Mr Hartshorn for leaving him, and walked to Mr Chester’s House 68 South Audley Street. I had not received his Note written yesterday; but found that although I was to have my Audience, after the Drawing Room, and could of course not appear at it, Mrs Adams was still to be presented at it. Mr Chester had proposed to me to call upon him and go at half past three, to spare me the trouble of waiting there until the Drawing Room should be over; but as in that case Mrs: Adams would have been obliged to go alone, would be a stranger there, and might miss of meeting Lady Castlereagh, I concluded to go with her and wait; Mr Chester agreed to go with us— I went to Mr King’s at Conduit Street, and informed her of this arrangement— Mrs Von-Harten, Mrs Morison, and Miss Carnell were there, to see her dressed. I then took a Hackney Coach to go to Craven Street, but met my own Carriage on the way. Went in it— Dressed at Craven Street— Returned to Mrs King’s and took up Mrs Adams— Called and took up Mr Chester at his house, and at a few minutes after two were at Buckingham house— Earl and Countess Bathurst arrived just at the same time that we did. There is a special entrance into the Park, reserved for certain privileged persons, among whom are the foreign Ministers, and for which Mr Chester gave us a ticket. The convenience of it is to avoid the crowd, and waiting. It is the entrance by Constitution Hill, at Hyde Park Corner— There is also a Hall, adjoining that where the Drawing Room is held, where only the privileged persons are admitted, and their presentations are before those of the Crowd of nobility and gentry of the Country. These are kept in a Hall below— Lady Castlereagh did not arrive until after the first part of the presentations was over so that to avoid the Crowd, Countess Bathurst presented Mrs Adams— When the crowd from below were shewn up into the Hall, Mr Chester shewed me in to that which they had left, and I waited there until the Drawing Room was over. Mrs Adams after having been presented met Lord and Lady Castlereagh, as they were just going in— Mr Chester told us that Lady Castlereagh was noted for always coming too late— Mrs Adams returned then to Mrs King’s, and sent back the Carriage for me— I waited in the Hall below until past four O’Clock— While I was there, the Duke and Duchess of York, passed through it, going by a private passage, to the drawing-room, and the Duke of Sussex, and the Duke, and Princess Sophia of Gloucester, in coming from it. The Duke of Sussex stopped and spoke to me— He talked of the victory gained by the fall of the property tax, and remarked to me that he was in a court dress, not a military uniform, because in time of Peace it was proper to lay that aside. After changing his Dress in a next Room he said “You are going to have your Audience, and must wait some time. I am going to dine with about five hundred Jews.” I laughed and said “I see your Royal Highness is of all Religions.”— “Yes![”] said he; at least for tolerating them all— And for supporting the Ministers of the established Religion, in such a manner, as should not alienate from them the affection of their flocks— He said he was also going to a Ball at the Lord Mayor’s— Part of the time while I was waiting, Count Beroldingen, the Minister from the king of Wurtemberg was also there. He had a letter from the king to the Prince Regent, and another to Queen, announcing the Marriage of the Crown Prince of Wurtemberg his Son, with the Grand Duchess Catherine of Russia, Dowager of the Prince of Oldenburg. These Letters were to be delivered in private Audiences, but the question of etiquette was, whether the Queen could receive the one addressed to her, before that to the Prince Regent had been delivered to him— The Count had asked the question, and was kept waiting for the answer until I returned from my Audience— He was then told that the Queen could not receive the Letter in private Audience, until after the Prince Regent should have received his— But that if he the Count preferred it, he might send the Letter for the Queen to the Lord Chamberlain— He chose to deliver it in private Audience, but was somewhat mortified at the manner in which he was treated, and told me that they did not understand here, their own rules of etiquette.— Mr Chester accompanied and conducted me to the Queen’s Cabinet. The Earl of Morton, her Majesty’s Lord Chamberlain introduced me— The Queen was standing about the middle of the Chamber. Just behind her at her right hand stood the Princess Augusta, at her left the Princess Mary—further back several Ladies in waiting, and the Duke of Kent in Military Uniform. 415I had been repeatedly told and particularly by Mr Chester this Morning, that the Queen always expected on these occasions to be addressed in a set Speech— I said thus—“Madam! The President of the United States having accredited me to His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, I have been ambitious of the honour of being admitted to your Majesty’s presence, to assure you of the respect entertained by the Government of the United States for your Majesty’s person— When upon a former occasion Your Majesty was pleased to appoint a time for that purpose, I was confined by illness; a circumstance with which I hope Your Majesty was made acquainted. I am now happy to be able to avail myself of your Majesty’s permission; and pray you to accept the assurance of the veneration uniformly felt by the American Government for your Majesty’s Character. The political Relations between the two Countries have been subject to the versatility which attends all human affairs. Causes of dissension, and even of enmity have sometimes unfortunately arisen between them— These are now removed— It is hoped and most earnestly desired by my Country, that they may be permanently removed. But the reverence commanded by your Majesty’s virtues, is subject to no such change— It has been invariably entertained by my Government, under every variety of Circumstance, and I can express no wish more propitious to the happiness of both Countries, than that the friendship and harmony between them, may hereafter be equally lasting, and unalterable.” The Queen answered that she was much obliged to the American Government for the sentiments I had expressed in their home, and with respect to myself, she had much regretted the illness that I mentioned— She asked me several questions concerning it—what it had been?—how long I had been confined with it? whether I was perfectly recovered? whether it had been the effect of the climate? all which I answered as briefly as possible— She enquired also concerning the climate of my own Country, and I told her how much milder and more pleasant I found that of England, than the one from which I had last come, which was Russia— She asked me whether I was related to the Mr Adams who had been formerly the Minister to this Country, and appeared surprized when I answered that I was his Son— She forgot that I had given her the same answer to the same question twenty years ago; and had apparently no recollection that I had ever been presented to her before— She now dismissed me, and I withdrew with Mr Chester— The Carriage had returned— I took Mr Chester home, and then went to Stable yard, and wrote my name in the books, at the Residences of the Duke of York and his Duchess, of the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland, and of the Duke of Clarence— Thence I returned to Craven Street, signed the note to Lord Castlereagh, of which Mr Le Soeuf the young Man, hired by Mr Smith as a Clerk, had made out a copy, since the morning; and then went to Mrs King’s for Mrs Adams and Lucy. Mr Bibby was there— Mr King and Dr Francis soon afterwards came in— It was near six when we set out to return home— On our way, we called at the Duke of Gloucester’s where I wrote my name on his book, and at the Apartments of the Duke of Kent and of the Duke of Sussex, at Kensington Palace. It was about eight when we reached home, and there I found the Note from Mr Chester, which he had written at my Office yesterday, and sent by the Post; but which arrived here after we were gone, this Morning.