The Princess Royal of Denmark--Destruction of the German Empire--
Napoleons visit to the Courts of Bavaria and Wurtemberg--His return
to France--First mention of the divorce--Intelligence of Napoleon's
marriage with Maria Louisa--Napoleon's quarrel with Louis--Journey
of the Emperor and Empress into Holland--Refusal of the Hanse Towns
to pay the French troops--Decree for burning English merchandise--
M. de Vergennes--Plan for turning an inevitable evil to the best
account--Fall on the exchange of St Petersburg

About this time I had the pleasure of again seeing the son of the
reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, whose arrival in the Hanse Towns
was speedily followed by that of his sister, Princess Frederica Charlotte
of Mecklenburg, married to the Prince Royal of Denmark, Christian
Frederick. In November the Princess arrived at Altana from Copenhagen,
the reports circulated respecting her having compelled her husband to
separate from her. The history of this Princess, who, though perhaps
blamable, was nevertheless much pitied, was the general subject of
conversation in the north of Germany at the time I was at Hamburg. The
King of Denmark, grieved at the publicity of the separation, wrote a
letter on the subject to the Duke of Mecklenburg. In this letter, which
I had an opportunity of seeing, the King expressed his regret at not
having been able to prevent the scandal; for, on his return from a
journey to Kiel, the affair had become so notorious that all attempts at
reconciliation were vain. In the meantime it was settled that the
Princess was to remain at Altona until something should be decided
respecting her future condition.

It was Baron Plessen, the Duke of Mecklenburg's Minister of State, who
favoured me with a sight of the King of Denmark's letters. M. Plessen
told me, likewise, at the time that the Duke had formed the irrevocable