The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1211: Chapter 138: Honored Presence (Part 2)

To Arthur, the identity of the convoy’s owner was easy to discern. A quick glance at the noble emblem on the car door provided a rough idea of which family he belonged to.

The emblem not only featured three golden lions symbolizing England, a standing red lion symbolizing Scotland, and a harp symbolizing Ireland, but the supporters on either side of the shield were a golden lion symbolizing England and a silver unicorn symbolizing Scotland, clearly indicating that the owner of this carriage was a true blue-blooded nobility of the British Royal Family.

The crown above the shield with golden alternating leaf patterns and pearl embellishments indicated his rank: a Duke, and a Royal Duke at that.

Combined with the slightly informal entourage compared to other royal members, the true identity of the carriage owner was now evident.

Duke of Sussex, Earl of Inverness, and Baron Akluo, President of the Royal Society, Chairman of the Royal Art Association, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, Augustus Frederick, Prince.

The sudden visit of a royal member evidently caused quite a stir in a small town like Göttingen, with many citizens curiously watching the luxurious carriage meticulously crafted by London craftsmen on both sides of the street, while street vendors, tavern attendants, and even professors rushing to classes put aside their tasks just to join in the excitement.

However, the guard knights responsible for clearing the way were clearly irritated by this outcome, as the citizens surrounded the convoy’s route so tightly that moving through was no easier than navigating the streets of the East End of London.

The knights shouted in German trying to disperse the crowd, but for the people of Göttingen, encountering such novelty was a first in their lives, so instead of yielding to the shouts, they were met with bursts of laughter.

The guard knights were about to lose their temper when an order came from inside the carriage: ”Enough, stop here.”

The command was delivered, and the door of the rear carriage was immediately opened, with attendants bearing swords around their waists first disembarking. Two tall attendants jumped down swiftly, placing stools and spreading carpets for the Duke to alight.

Next, two trumpeters among the guard knights pulled out long trumpets and small trumpets from their waists, and following royal ceremony, played a brief trumpet fanfare.

To the sound of the fanfare, the Duke of Sussex descended from the carriage onto the small stool, smoothed the creases on his royal daily suit with a gloved hand, and then smiled while raising his hand to greet the citizens: ”Thank you for your warm welcome, people of Göttingen. As Augustus Frederick Hanover, a member of the Royal Family, I feel extremely honored to stand here today, witnessing the wisdom and enthusiasm of Göttingen.”

The crowd of onlookers lining the streets saw the Duke alight and greet them, with women lifting their skirts to curtsey, and men one by one doffing their hats in honor, shouting: ”Long live Hanover!”

”What a gentleman!”

”Oh God! Is he our Prince?”

”He indeed does resemble His Majesty the King’s portrait.”

”Our Royal Family is truly different from Prussia’s absolute monarch, see, this is how nobility should be.”

Everyone started chattering, perhaps from excitement, many cheeks were flushed with an apple hue.

By their demeanor, the news of the Royal Family’s visit would soon become a hot topic in this small town’s taverns in Göttingen.

The Duke of Sussex, escorted by guard knights, struggled to pass through the encircling citizens, as the tardy Göttingen police hurriedly took over the royal security duties.

Police Chief Mr. Schmidt, mounted on a tall horse, tried his utmost with his baton to direct his policemen, hoping to impress the Duke of Sussex: ”This way, that way, no, this way! No, it’s still that way!”

Arthur observed the scene, squeezed through the throng of students watching the commotion, heading out of the campus.

Fortunately, his six-foot height was not short in the crowd, so he was recognized from a distance by the Duke of Sussex even before reaching the Duke’s Guard.

This naturally carefree liberal aristocrat waved cheerfully to him: ”Haven’t seen you for a while, Sir Arthur Hastings.”

Arthur was escorted to the Duke’s side by the police, removed his hat, bowed, and said: ”Your Highness, have you visited Göttingen ahead of schedule?”

The Duke of Sussex nodded with a smile: ”There wasn’t much to do in Hanover, so after having afternoon tea at Leineschloss with Adolfus, I set off directly. Besides, I prefer wandering around in peaceful and comfortable little towns like Göttingen over the cityscapes of Hanover.”

The Adolfus mentioned by the Duke of Sussex was his tenth brother, the Duke of Cambridge.

Unlike the Duke of Sussex, who stubbornly refused to join the army and was long rooted in the fields of culture and art as an eccentric Prince, the Duke of Cambridge, like his other brothers, belonged to the traditional old-school aristocracy.

He joined the British Army at the age of 17, participated in the Anti-France War two years later, was promoted to Lieutenant General seven years later, and in 1803 became the General responsible for commanding the Kingdom of Hanover’s Army.

Although his rapid promotion in the army indeed benefited from royal blood, even so, the Duke of Cambridge had become the second most able royal army commander after his brother, the Duke of Cumberland.