Royal drama in the opera house

Current Beverage: White Tea with a splash of Pomegranate

A tiresome and run-of-the-mill evening at the opera last night became a fascinating pageant of human folly, as the melodramatic windbags onstage lost the spotlight to the very real drama being played out between the Prince of Wales and his estranged wife. Needless to say, I was all atwitter with excitement.

The Princess Caroline, surrounded by several of her more charming friends (I do believe I caught a glimpse of the dashing Admiral Sidney Smith!) entered her box, waving sweetly to the populace to general applause, a vision in forest green. I do believe the princess grows younger by the year, for I daresay none of this season’s young ladies at Almack’s can compete with her fresh cheeks and easy, booming laugh! Just then, in a box not far from the princess’s, who should stroll in but the Prince of Wales himself! Clad in satin and no doubt a corset, and surrounded by his usual and boisterous crowd of admirers and hangers-on, Prinny proceeded to make quite a spectacle of himself, carrying on loudly enough to quite ruin the show—for those still paying attention to the drama onstage, that is, rather than the drama in the royal boxes.

As soon as the prince caught sight of the poor princess, oh, the mutterings and titterings began, and the poor woman was quite made an object of sport by the prince and his simpering minions. An eagle-eyed observer such as myself might have noted that the chivalric Admiral may have drawn ever so slightly closer to the princess as she withstood this embarrassment, but then I would shudder to monger gossip. Apparently blissfully unaware of any such rumors swirling in his direction, I don’t mind saying that the prince made his odious attentions toward the ladies in his company abundantly obvious. Ah, for the halcyon days of the monarchy, when such indiscretions were kept neatly behind closed doors! Nevertheless, I have rarely enjoyed a night at the opera so much!