The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 9 October 1837
“Brighton, Oct. 9th.
“. . . Now for Brighton! Barry, my dear, it is detestable: the
crowd of unknown human beings is not to be endured. . . . Whether it is a
natural sentiment or not, I don’t know, or whether I mistake ennui for it, but I have a strong touch of melancholy in
comparing Brighton of the present with times gone by. Death has made great
havoc in a very short time with our Royalties of the Pavilion—Prinney and ‘brother William,’ Duke of
York and Duke of Kent, all
gone, and all represented now by little Vic only. Is it not highly dramatic that the Duke of
Kent should have announced to me in 1818, upon Princess Charlotte’s death, that he was
going to marry for the succession, and named his bride to me; and here she is,
with the successor by her side, and what is to become of her, or how she is to
turn out, who shall say?
“. . . In talking to Lady
Cowper of Lord Melbourne,
and, as I suppose, of his health, Vic
said:—‘He eats too much, and I often tell him so. Indeed I
do so myself, and my doctor has ordered me not to eat luncheon any
more.’—‘And does your Majesty quite obey
him?’ asked Lady Cowper. ‘Why yes, I
think I do,’ said Vic, ‘for I only
eat a little broth.’ Now I think a little Queen taking care of
her Prime Minister’s stomach, he being nearly sixty, is everything one
could wish! If the Tory press could get hold of this fact, what fun they would
make of it. . . . The Duchess of Kent plays
whist every night, and a horrible player she is. Vicky, I
am happy to say, always plays chess with Melbourne when he
is there.”
Princess Charlotte Augusta (1796-1817)
The only child of George IV; she married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg in 1816 and died
in childbirth the following year.
Emily Mary Cowper, countess Cowper [née Lamb] (1787-1869)
Whig hostess, the daughter of Sir Peniston Lamb, first Viscount Melbourne; she married
(1) in 1805 Sir Peter Leopold Louis Francis Nassau Cowper, fifth Earl Cowper, and (2) in
1839, her long-time lover, Henry John Temple, third Viscount Palmerston.
Edward Augustus, duke of Kent (1767-1820)
The fourth son of George III, who pursued a military career and acquired a reputation as
a martinet; he was governor of Gibraltar (1802-03).
Frederick Augustus, Duke of York (1763-1827)
He was commander-in-chief of the Army, 1798-1809, until his removal on account of the
scandal involving his mistress Mary Anne Clarke.
William Lamb, second viscount Melbourne (1779-1848)
English statesman, the son of Lady Melbourne (possibly by the third earl of Egremont) and
husband of Lady Caroline Lamb; he was a Whig MP, prime minister (1834-41), and counsellor
to Queen Victoria.
Elizabeth Ord (1789-1854 c.)
Of Rivenhall in Essex, the daughter of William Ord of Fenham and younger sister of
William Ord MP (1781-1855); she was the step-daughter and correspondent of Thomas Creevy.
Her will was made and proved in 1854.
Victoria Mary Louise, duchess of Kent (1786-1861)
The daughter of Francis, duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, in 1803 she married Emich Charles,
prince of Leiningen, and in 1818 the Duke of Kent. She was the mother of Queen
Victoria
