Unlike Willy, Nicky read every last dot and comma on every piece of official paper that crossed his desk, and he certainly did so when he was handed a copy of Austria’s ultimatum. He read the opening accusation about the plot having been hatched in Belgrade and of Serbian officers being involved, then read on to where it stated that all Serb nationalist publications were to be banned, all Serb nationalist societies disbanded, all agitators rounded up, all those involved in the plot brought to trial, and that Austrian officers were to be allowed to enter Serbia and conduct their own investigation and Austria was to oversee all legal actions.

Thinking he must be hallucinating, he read it again and then a third time. The demands were outrageous. No sovereign state could agree to them, and when Serbia didn’t do so, what was Austrian reaction going to be?

Even before he spoke to his Prime Minister, Nicky picked up the phone to speak to Willy, only to be told that the Kaiser was aboard the Hohenzollern and out of telephone contact. He sent a cable asking Willy for his thoughts on the ultimatum. Back came a cable saying that he knew nothing about it, and that the matter was between Austria and Serbia and was nothing to do with Germany. He also sent love and best wishes to Alicky.

The Austrian Ambassador to St Petersburg’s reading of the situation was equally low-key. ‘Austria is simply trying to teach Serbia a lesson,’ he said to Nicky. ‘It is a rap on the knuckles; nothing more serious than that.’

Georgie didn’t believe the ultimatum was a mere rap on the knuckles. No self-respecting country could accede to the demands Austria was making, and Austria would be well aware it couldn’t. And what would happen when Serbia didn’t accede to them? His answer to his self-imposed question was immediate. Austria would use it as an excuse to declare war on Serbia and, when it did, Serbia’s friend, Russia, would come to her aid. And when Russia came to her aid, what nightmarish spot would Russia’s allies be in?

It was all too dreadful to even think about, and so he didn’t think about it. Instead he went down to his stamp room, poured himself a stiff tumbler of whisky and began rearranging stamps of Australia and New Zealand, all of which reassuringly bore his own image.

The next morning came news that Serbia had replied to Austria’s ultimatum and that, except for an unimportant point, the Serbs had agreed to every demand. The relief in Potsdam, London and St Petersburg was overwhelming. Austria now had no excuse for declaring war on Serbia and consequently there was no danger of Russia, Germany and England being dragged into the Balkan mire.