Chapter 43: Rochester
February, 1694
Anne read through the letter which had come from the English ambassador in Spain, Alexander Stanhope and she wondered where things might go from here, the letter made for some grim reading after all.
Your Highness,
It is with a heavy heart that I write that that delightful child His Royal Highness Leopold Maximilian Prince of Asturias and Elector of Bavaria has died. It seems the illness which captured him during the course of the previous year finally succeeded in overwhelming his defences. The court has fallen into mourning for the little Prince and the Queen has herself ordered that all court functions cease for the time being.
I do not know yet what the Queen and her husband will decide on next. Already I have seen the French ambassador try to seek an audience not only with the Queen but with her grandmother the Dowager Queen also. It seems the Sun King wishes to arrange a marriage between his grandson the Duke of Anjou and the Queen’s daughter now.
I will of course keep you informed of every and all developments.
Yours Truly
Alexander Stanhope, Envoy Extraordinaire to the Court of Queen Maria Antonia of Spain.
Anne put down the letter and sighed. With Leopold Maximilian dead, that meant that the boy’s uncle was now Elector of Bavaria unless the church of Rome prevented him from inheriting and marrying. It also opened the chances that France might try to pursue their claim to Cologne. She would need to inform the council of this when they got to Bath. Another thing that niggled her was that the child was a Royal Highness, but she and her sister had remained Highnesses. She wondered why her uncle or grandfather or even father had not changed that. She would need to do that through an Order in Council, it was only appropriate after all.
Elizabeth Talbot, a lady in waiting and a good friend of Anne’s came to her then. Anne put the letter away and asked. “What is it Liz?”
“The Earl of Rochester is here to see you, Your Highness.” Elizabeth said.
Anne bit back a sigh, she had forgotten that she’d agreed to meet her uncle. She did not like him, she found him grasping and a bit of a lech. But still he was family, and so she nodded. “Let him in.” Elizabeth bowed, told the guards and then departed. Laurence Hyde walked in. He was tall, not as tall as his son Henry was, but still tall. He walked in, bowed before her and then took the seat she offered him. She waited a beat and then said. “Uncle, how nice to see you.”
“And you, Your Highness. It has been too long.” Rochester said, kissing her hand. He was technically Lord President of the Council, but he rarely attended meetings of the regency for reasons she could not understand. Though she suspected he wanted another position.
“What can I do for you, uncle?” Anne asked.
She had thought her uncle might beat around a little, but instead he said. “I know that things have not gone quite as well as you hoped they would, with regards to France and Spain, Your Highness. And I was hoping that you might consider a suggestion of mine.”
Anne thought she knew what the suggestion was going to be, but she was too polite to tell him to stop there. Instead she said. “Go ahead, I am listening.”
“It is my view that England made the wrong choice by not getting involved in the war on the continent. We could have made some serious gains and we could have finally put the boot into the Dutch once and for all. Now we are seeing France dominate once more, and there is now a lack of trust between us, Spain and Vienna.” Rochester said. “I believe that the Regency Council must be changed. There are too many cautionary figures on it.”
Anne raised an eyebrow and asked. “Who would you replace, uncle?”
“Middleton for one. That man is a Scot; he should be in Scotland not here. And for another Sir Stephen Fox. That man counts coins, but he does not know what to do with them.” Rochester said.
Anne looked at her uncle and wondered what her father had seen in him. He was an ambitious and grasping man, quite unlike his brother, and Anne’s other uncle Henry, Earl of Clarendon who was serving in Ireland with quite good recommendations. “And who would you replace them with?”
“Why I would replace Fox with me of course. I have served in that role before, during the King’s father’s reign, and I ensured the treasury more than tripled the amount it had before. Furthermore, I have contacts in Europe, people who could bring investment and trade into the country. Something that Fox with his fascination with the army and with the press could never do.” Rochester said.
“And the Northern Secretary? Who would you have if not Middleton?” Anne asked.
“The Earl of Essex.” Rochester replied.
“You would have me put a soldier into one of the most important offices in the realm, a man who has no political experience?” Anne asked astounded.
“Yes.” Rochester said.
“Why?” Anne demanded.
“Because he would be easy to control, and the objectives that Middleton has stood against could be achieved.” Her uncle said.
“And what objectives might those be?” Anne demanded. She had a feeling she knew where her uncle was going with this and she was not sure whether she felt comfortable discussing them, especially after the accusations that the Shrewsbury trial had levelled against her.
“Centralisation of government into the hands of the crown and council. Middleton is of the old school, and he will not let such a thing happen.” Rochester said. “You have already gone over Parliament’s head before, and with the new elections due to produce a Tory Majority, you can be sure that Parliament is going to want to keep things as they are now. Put Essex into Middleton’s role, and you can override Parliament more effectively. Use his soldier’s thinking and everything you need to do will happen.” Her uncle finished, and then added almost as an afterthought. “Including getting that free trade area with Spain you so desire.”
Anne did not know how her uncle knew about the trade zone desire that she and the cabinet held, but then she remembered that her uncle had friends everywhere in court. She pushed down her surprise and simply said. “I will consider what you have said, uncle. Now is there anything else?” She would need to plan for the journey to Bath, and ensuring that this letter did not get misplaced.
“Yes, why are you taking the King to Bath, with you?” Her uncle demanded.
“Because I am going there for my husband’s health and as the possessor of the King, he must accompany me.” Anne said.
“You cannot take the King away from London now, that would-be madness.” Rochester said. “A new Parliament is about to meet; the King must be here for it.”
Anne looked at him and said. “The King must come with me as I am his sister, and the person responsible for his upbringing.”
“Then you cannot go to Bath.” Rochester said. “Your husband can go, but you must be here.”
“No.” Anne said. She held firm then, refusing to bend to any of the voices inside that were telling her, that her uncle was right. She had made her mind up; the King would accompany them as they made their way to Bath after the opening of Parliament.
Her uncle sighed then. “Well, I can see your mind is decided. I will say one thing though, the way things are going now, you will need to arrange a marriage for the King and for your daughter, before the year is out. It is good to have allies.”
