Deciding that nothing would be achieved by pointing this out to Alicky, May went on, ‘And although the Prime Minister still found objections to raise, permission might have been granted, but when Hélène’s father was told of what it was she was intending to do, he said the idea was impossible and that he wouldn’t give his consent to a marriage made under those conditions. And under French law, Hélène can’t marry without his permission until she’s twenty-five.’

‘And so Hélène went to Rome and threw herself at the Pope’s feet?’

‘And came away from the Vatican utterly defeated. Eddy had proposed that he relinquish his succession to the throne, marry Hélène, who would still remain a Catholic – all on the understanding that any children they had would be brought up Protestant and would retain their rights of succession. The Pope utterly vetoed the idea of children of a mixed marriage being brought up Protestant, and so that was the end of all their hopes. On her return to England, Hélène broke off their engagement and her parents have taken her abroad. I don’t think they’ll return with her until Eddy has reconciled himself to a royal duty marriage with someone of the Queen’s choosing – something he now has no option but to do.’ With difficulty, she kept her relief that Eddy wouldn’t be marrying Hélène from showing in her voice.

‘Poor Hélène, and poor Eddy.’ Alicky’s sympathy was genuine. ‘It’s a Georgie-and-Julie-Stoner scenario all over again.’

From where they were seated they could see Marie-Louise and her recently acquired fiancé, Prince Aribert of Anhalt, strolling arm-in-arm in their direction. Royal engagements were never lengthy and their wedding, which was to take place in a few days’ time in Windsor Castle’s chapel, was the reason Alicky and family from Denmark and Germany were already gathered there. Alicky was to be one of the bridesmaids and, before Marie-Louise and Aribert came within hearing distance, she said fiercely, ‘I hate being a bridesmaid. You’re so lucky not always having to be one.’

‘No, I’m not.’ That Alicky could be crassly unperceptive, as well as self-righteous, was something May had long ago got used to. ‘Not when the reason I don’t get asked is because no one wants an unmarried twenty-four-year-old following them down the aisle.’