Running Away to Love

Author’s NoteThe fêtes and parties given by the Prince Regent at Carlton House became a legend for their fantastic extravagance and elaborate preparations. Ever since the Prince Regent had moved into Carlton House, he had been building and increasing its size. Houses were demolished on either side and Carlton House enlarged. The extensive gardens extended from Pall Mall to Marlborough House. At the time of one of H.R.H.’s parties The Morning Post reported that five hundred men had been at work for a month to produce the ‘most brilliant fireworks ever seen in the country’. At the first party the Prince Regent gave when he was Prince of Wales and allowed to have his own house, two thousand invitations were sent out for a fête in June. By eight o’clock on the appointed day, Pall Mall, St. James’s Street and the Haymarket were blocked with carriages, although guests were not invited until nine o’clock. The proceedings were so brilliantly done that despite the crowds there was ‘no hustle or bustle in waiting and everything was done as in a private house’. Even those who had been in the rooms inside Carlton House before had not seen all the furniture, pictures and ornaments in them. The Prince Regent was continually improving his collections, When he became King George IV in 1820 and moved to Buckingham Palace, most of his collection went with him. I was, however, broken-hearted to learn that it was not until 1927 that Carlton House was pulled down, so I could have seen it. Unfortunately I did not write any historical novels until 1948. There was no doubt that, despite his extravagances, the Prince Regent was a remarkable man. He not only had extraordinarily good taste, but as he walked amongst his guests he was affable, amusing, brilliantly witty and undoubtedly charming. One can only agree with someone at the time who said of him that ‘he was graciousness personified’.