1775.
“Kristine
dear, you’ve been told about the tea time. It must be served at five o’clock
sharp. And you’re already three minutes behind. Make sure this will never
happen again, for your sake dear! Servants. You offer them a decent life can
imagine only in their dreams. Sleazy and worthless beings they are. I wonder
why I deal with them, I the Duchess of Oxford.
I’ve given them numerous privileges but they are still disrespectful.
They whisper all the time behind my back. They call me a shrew! For Goodness sake! I Augusta Agatha of Oxford ! A woman with
virtues and classical education! A woman who inspired poets to write poems
praising her beauty. It is unbelievable for a woman of that noble rank to bother
herself with these worthless people. But they constantly keep whispering,
mumbling and talking about a revolution rising in France , the country of filth and
iniquity. It is impossible. My husband Duke Edward Ernest of Oxford is in regular contact with the
successor of the Crown, Prince Charles Henry who assures us that everything is
under control. Of course it is. His Excellency would never, ever allow
something like a revolution to happen in our Kingdom. It is not like us to foster
rebellions. I can’t even think about it. The time is quarter past five. In a
short while, I will have dinner with Anne Margaret the future Princess of
England. I wish I were her. She is getting married to the successor of the
Crown, Prince Charles Henry, in October. How lucky she is. I have been living
in this tower almost three years now. My life with the Duke is quite dull, but
who cares! Other people have decided for my life. It was my destiny to come
here and live in this tower, to marry the Duke and become the Duchess of
Oxford. I heard that the French rebels, Jacques, conspired boldly to intrude
the Saint Elysser, murder the King and Queen and all the aristocrats and noble
men as well. Unbelievable! They cannot possibly achieve this. Who are these
humble men who dare to commit such things? It is ridiculous. But what if those
scoundrels affect the people of our Kingdom? What if they try to eliminate us?
Dear God! There is no use thinking about such things. Under no circumstances
would his Excellency ever allow this to happen. Duke Edward Henry, my beloved
husband, would never let things change! I Augusta Agatha the Duchess of
Oxford would never, ever, let myself
leave this wonderful tower. I will be here having my tea every day sharply at
five o’clock, exactly after my ride. My life will go on here, among the lowest
servants. I will have lunch every day at 2 o’clock with the Duke. Everything
will be according to my plans. Someday I will give birth to a daughter who will
get married to the Crown Prince. I will vigorously contest against anybody who
wants to overcome me. I will fight for my state, tooth and claw. I swear to our
Lord I will trample anyone who will try to take advantage of me or my family. I
am Augusta Agatha, the Duchess of Oxford and that’s how I will remain. Foolish
I am. What kind of lamentable things am I thinking of. For Goodness sake!
Nothing will happen. Everything is and will be under control. Time is up! I
have to get ready. I have to attend the court against a traitor. Charles Darney
I think his name is. He will pay for his sins. Death is the conviction for
treason. Fortunately after that I’m invited for dinner. The future Princess
wants to discuss with me the details about her upcoming wedding with the Crown
Prince. How lucky she is”.
The time of the trial of Charles Darney has arrived at the Court of Old
Bailey. The Londoners wish for his death. Charles Darney betrayed the country
and the name of his Excellency. Or maybe not. Nobody can prove it, but his
punishment can be a warning for all the ambitious revolutionaries in England . “He is
a traitor! Filthy beast! Whip him. Show
no mercy. Make him regret for his acts. Make him feel the utter pain, torture
him till death. Chop his head off!”
Old Bailey’s verdict was “innocent”. Time flew and the French revolution
was a fact. Jacques, the revolutionaries, stood up and fought for their rights.
The King of France was murdered and on 14th July 1789 the storming
of Bastille took place. The number of dead aristocrats was beyond any
expectation and the fear of a possible revolution in England was greater than ever. In the
“London Times” the description of the Jackerye’s acts was more than detailed.
When Bastille was taken, the journalists pointed out that this was probably by
far the most appalling fact in history.
“It’s nine o’clock in the morning. It’s Sunday and I’m reading the
“London Times”. I’m reading about Bastille. People were murdered. My people,
noble men, Dukes, Marquises, Kings and Queens .
This massacre was committed against them because of their noble origin. Humans tortured
the daughter of Madame De Sompreig and killed the Cardinal in the most inhuman
way. The ways the Jacquery chose to exterminate the aristocracy are far beyond
any tainted imagination. Jacques fought for human rights. And I wonder: is murdering and torturing a
means of attaining human rights? Is the guillotine an instrument to achieve the
freedom of human nature?”
Duchess Augusta Agatha and Marchioness Beatrice Helena of Oxford are the voice of the
Londoners as far as the French Revolution is concerned. Is their outburst an indignation about the thousands of victims of Bastille or are they feeling the fear of
threat coming closer and closer to them? As they used to pray : “May my country
never be infected by the domineering tyranny of Equality”.
- by Konstantina Griva & Filitsa Tsompanidou