liberal imagination of Kent, who executed not only the architecture, but
the painting, in the reign of George I.

The guests remained at Kensington for a month, the only drawback to their
pleasure being a little attack of bilious fever, from which Prince Albert
suffered for a few days. There is a published letter to his stepmother in
which the Prince tells his doings in the most unaffected, kindly fashion.
There were the King's levee, "long and fatiguing, but very interesting;"
the dinner at Court, and the "beautiful concert" which followed, at which
the guests had to stand till two o'clock; the King's birthday, with the
Drawing-room at St. James's Palace, where three thousand eight hundred
people passed before the King and Queen, and another great dinner and
concert in the evening. There was also the "brilliant ball" at Kensington
Palace, at which the gentlemen were in uniform and the ladies in fancy
dresses. Duke William of Brunswick, the Prince of Orange and his sons, and
the Duke of Wellington, were among the guests, and the Princes of Coburg
helped to keep up the ball till four o'clock. They spent a day with the
Duke of Northumberland at Sion House, they went to Claremont, and they were
so constantly engaged that they had to make the most of their time in order
to see at least some of the sights of London. To one of the sights the
Queen referred afterwards. The Duke of Coburg and the two Princes
accompanied the Duchess of Kent and the Princess to the wonderful gathering
of the children of the different charity schools in St. Paul's Cathedral,
where Prince Albert listened intently to the sermon. We hardly need to be
told that he was full of interest in everything, paid the greatest
attention to all he saw, and was constantly occupied. Among his pleasant
occupations were the two favourite pursuits--which the cousins
shared--music and drawing. He accompanied the Princess on the piano, and
he drew with and for her. It was a happy, busy time, though some of the
late dinners, at which, the Prince drank only water, were doubtless dull