Chapter 38
Mother believes that I must win my throne by the sword. It appears my uncles are in agreement.
George V of Great Britain and Ireland
I'm going to wipe that little shit from the face of the earth.
The Duke of Cumberland.
October, 1813
Wood Green
Almost as soon as it began, the First Lord regretted his actions. Hoping that the nation would accept George V on the throne as a fait accompli, Grenville had ordered the new King crowned. With control of the local London militia, the Whig Prime Minister believed that the Dukes of York and Cumberland could do nothing, especially the Duke of York whom remained crippled and his life in the balance.
Unfortunately, the Duke of Cumberland's control of the army was more extensive than assumed. The House of Lords remained largely in his corner as was much of the House of Commons. Many of the Old Guard in the army was hell-bent against this new bastard son of a Catholic on the British throne and threw in with Cumberland twenty miles north of London. Regiment after regiment was called from their barracks. Some joined the Whig forces assembling in London, others the Tories gathered by the Duke. Many flatly refused to leave their respective barracks until sanity prevailed.
By late October, two contending armies had taken the field as the astounded British populace looked on in horror. In a wily move, the Duke of Cumberland stole a march on his nephew's forces and sent his brother, the Duke of York, to Canterbury to be properly crowned King of Great Britain and Ireland. Still devastatingly wounded, the King's hard carriage journey under cover of darkness to Kent (the county still very much in chaos) opened several of his wounds. Still, the Duke managed to take the Oath and the Archbishop of Canterbury hestitantly crowned him King. Immediately, the "King" rode for the safety of friendly lines.
On October 31st, the two armies met at Wood Green, in the northern outskirts of London. In truth, no one knew exactly how many regulars and militia met that day. Best estimates remain guesses but 30,000 total was the generally accepted figure, including about 20,000. The entire battle as a confused affair as few actually believed a true battle would take place. Sure of the rightness of their cause, George V and the Duke of Cumberland expected the opposing forces to collapse on sight of the rightful ruler (The Duke representing King Frederick I of Britain).
When the two forces blundered into one another, it was quite common for officers to look upon the other field and see friends and family battling for the other side. One particularly close advisor to George V, General Arthur Wellesley swore he saw his brother-in-law Edward Pakenham serving in the ranks of the Duke.
For several hours, the two sides circled before crushing into one another at Wood Green. In many cases, despite dire threats from their officers, British soldiers refused to fire upon their own. The armies hastily assembled, very little cohesion was possible. Finally, Wellesley managed to turn the Cumberland army's flank and crash his regulars and militia into their rear. Within minutes, the Duke's entire army collapsed, fleeing northwards. Attempting to turn the tide, the Duke of Cumberland rode forward to stay the flight. A sharpshooter promptly buried a bullet into his abdomen. Cumberland's aides grasped his reigns and dragged the protesting Duke from the battle.
However, the forces of George V would not celebrate that night. Eager to make his mark upon history as his mother suggested, the young King was encouraging his troops when a cannonball caromed off a tree and beheaded him in the final moments of the battle.