e a hundred people. He replied that he did not care where he
said it or before whom, that 'by God he had been insulted by her
in a measure that was past all endurance, and he would not stand
it any longer.'

Nothing can be more unaccountable than the Duchess of Kent's
behaviour to the King, nothing more reprehensible; but his
behaviour to her has always been as injudicious and undignified
as possible, and this last sortie was monstrous. It was his duty
and his right to send for her, and signify to her both his
displeasure at the past and his commands for the future; but such
a gross and public insult offered to her at his own table,
sitting by his side and in the presence of her daughter, admits
of no excuse. It was an unparalleled outrage from a man to a
woman, from a host to his guest, and to the last degree
unbecoming the station they both of them fill. He has never had
the firmness and decision of character a due display of which
would have obviated the necessity of such bickerings, and his
passion leads him to these indecent exhibitions, which have not
the effect of correcting, and cannot fail to have that of
exasperating her, and rendering their mutual relations more
hopelessly disagreeable.

November 7th, 1836 {p.369}

An interval of above six weeks. I went to Newmarket on the 3rd of
October, returned to town for a Council on Wednesday in the first
October week; after the first October meeting I went to
Buckenham, after the second to Euston, and after the third came
to town. At Buckenham I met Adolphus Fitzclarence, who told me
over again the particulars of the scene with the Duchess of Kent,
which did not differ materially from what I have put down. He
added one item, that the day following the Queen was not ready
for dinner, and when dinner was announced and he was waiting he
asked, 'Where's the Queen?' They told him she was waiting for the
Duchess of Kent, when he said, loud enough for everybody to hear,
'That woman is a nuisance.' He was very angry at King Leopold's
coming here, received him very coldly at Windsor, had no
conversation with him on business, and on one occasion exhibited
a rudeness even to brutality. It seems he hates water-drinkers;
God knows why. One day at dinner Leopold called for water, when
the King asked, 'What's that you are drinking, sir?' 'Water,
sir.' 'God damn it!' rejoined the other King; 'why don't you
drink wine? I never allow anybody to drink water at my table.'
Leopold