The love of an uncrowned queen, Sophie Dorothea, consort of George 1., and her correspondence with Philip Christopher, count Königsmarck (now first published from the originals) by . thing she could do should be left undone to keepher daughter-in-law safely shut up in Ahlden. The Elector George, though he differed from his motherin most things, was at one with her as to this. He knewthe divorce was of doubtful legality and might any day beupset by a revision, so he confirmed it by declaring hisresolve to act strictly upon the letter of the agreementsigned by his father and the Duke
The love of an uncrowned queen, Sophie Dorothea, consort of George 1., and her correspondence with Philip Christopher, count Königsmarck (now first published from the originals) by . thing she could do should be left undone to keepher daughter-in-law safely shut up in Ahlden. The Elector George, though he differed from his motherin most things, was at one with her as to this. He knewthe divorce was of doubtful legality and might any day beupset by a revision, so he confirmed it by declaring hisresolve to act strictly upon the letter of the agreementsigned by his father and the Duke of Celle : he would notpermit his wife to assume the title of Electress, and hereaffirmed the order that she was always to be styled theDuchess of Ahlden. Thus her husbands accession to theElectoral dignity made no difference to the rank and posi-tion of Sophie Dorothea, but it made a great deal of dif-ference to her chances of freedom. The new Elector hatedhis cast-off wife with sullen vindictiveness, whereas the oldElector had only been harsh to her from motives of policy,and because he was instigated by her enemies. The ElectorGeorge determined from the first to maintain the existing. soPHiK Dorotheas wing of the castle of ahldekuFrom a J>ho/ograJ>h by the Author. THE PRISONER OF AHLDEN 401 arrangement—a very convenient one for him, and he hadno desire to see his wife back again. He was happy in thesociety of his Ermengarda Melusina, whose temper wasalways equable, who meddled not in politics, and who onlythought of enriching herself He also found variety in thesociety of the other mistresses whom he added from timeto time to his unattractive harem. Four 3^ears of captivity in the dreary loneliness ofAhlden, had now brought Sophie Dorothea to a morereasonable frame of mind. She regretted bitterly her lostfreedom, and she was now as eager to return to the worldas she had once been to retire from it. So anxious was sheto see her children, that she was willing for thei
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