1818. William Beechey (age 64). Portrait of Princess Augusta Hesse-Kassel Duchess Cambridge (age 20).

1839. John Lindsay Lucas (age 32). Portrait of Princess Augusta Hesse-Kassel Duchess Cambridge (age 41).

Adeline Horsey Recollections. The old Duchess of Cambridge (age 46) was one of the house-party at Egerton Lodge, and she very good-naturedly offered to take care of me on my journey to London, as we were both leaving the same clay. We travelled together, and directly the train started, the Duchess opened a large reticule and took out a German sausage which she devoured with great relish, cutting slices off it with a silver knife, with which she transferred them to her mouth.

Adeline Horsey Recollections. In January 1859, I went to the House of Lords to hear the debate from the Peeresses Gallery. I was sitting near the Duchess of Cambridge (age 61) and [her daughter] Princess Mary (age 25), when Maria, Marchioness of Ailesbury (age 46), made her appearance. I had not met her since my marriage, but I could see by her look that for some reasons of her own she meant to cut me, so I thought I would carry the war into the enemy's camp, and just as she was about to pass me, I said, "Oh, Lady Ailesbury, you may like to know that before Lady Cardigan died she told my Lord (age 61) all about you and your illegitimate children!".

Lady A. (age 46) looked nervously round and said in an agitated whisper, "Hush, hush, my dear, I'm coming to lunch with you to-morrow". She never asked me what Lady Cardigan had particularly said, but from that day we were outwardly the best of friends.

On my return to England as Countess of Cardigan, I need hardly say that every one was very anxious to be on good terms with me, and my own family were the first to make peaceful overtures. I had no wish to keep up the quarrel. As my marriage plainly showed how right I was in trusting Cardigan, and the motives of our much-discussed friendship were now openly vindicated, I let bygones be by-gones, and we were all good friends again.