ABSTRACT
The whole Court is returned, and in my memoirs you’ll find, dear Cousin, the particulars of the Queen’s journey. The King and she were both together in one coach, and the curtains being all open, I saw her at her arrival here. She was dressed after the Spanish way, and I did not think that she looked less handsome in this than in her French garb; but the King was dressed à la Schomberg, which is the Spanish habit for the country, and ’tis almost like the French. I have heard it told how strangely the Queen was surprised the first time she had the honour to see him: he had on a close bodied coat of grey barragon, very short and wide velvet breeches, stockings of pelo, that is, raw silk, which they work so very loose that their skin appears through them. This silk is as fine 1 as a hair, and though they be very straight, yet the King pulls them on at once, and so he’ll tear sometimes twenty pair one after another. He had also a very fine cravat, which the Queen sent him, but it was tied a little too loose, his hair was put behind his ears, and he wore a grey hat. All the journey, which was very long, they sat close to each other in a large coach and seldom could understand one another but by some certain signs, for the King cannot speak a word of French and the Queen could speak but very little Spanish. Upon their arrival at Madrid, they went to sing Te Deum at our Lady d’Atocha, attended by all the persons of quality, and a multitude of the people that made the air resound with acclamations of joy. Afterwards their Majesties went to Buen Retiro, because the apartments in the palace were not yet ready and that the Queen was not to remain there till she had made her entry. This time must needs have been very tedious to her, for she saw nobody but the Camarera Mayor and her ladies. She’s forced to lead a life so much against her inclinations, that she has need of all that discretion and sweetness of temper she’s possessed of to be able to endure it. She has not so much as the liberty to see the French Ambassador; to be short, ’tis a perpetual torment. All the Spanish ladies love her dearly, and amongst themselves pity her.
