One of the king’s courtiers rode forward and shouted at the people whose curious faces were peering over the tops of the defensive walls. ‘This is the king of England! Throw your governor down! He is a traitor! You must obey the king of England!’

No-one moved, then a surly voice shouted, ‘Aye, and he’s the king of Scotland and Ireland too and what justice do they have there?’

The king’s great horse reared and shied as he pulled it back. ‘Then b … be damned to you!’ the king shouted. ‘I shall not forget this, John Hotham! I shall n … not forget that you locked me out of my own town!’

He wheeled the horse around and flung it into a gallop down the road, the guards thundering behind him, the courtiers, servants and John with them. He did not pull up till his horse was blown and then they turned and looked back down the road. In the distance they could see the gates finally open, the drawbridge come down, and a small party of horsemen ride out, following in their tracks.

‘Prince James,’ the king said. ‘Ten minutes too l … late.’

The king’s party waited while the horsemen rode nearer and nearer and then pulled up.

‘Where the devil were you, sir?’ the king demanded of his nephew, the Elector Palatine, who had led the party.

‘I am sorry, Your Majesty,’ the young man replied stolidly. ‘We were at our dinner and did not know you were outside the gates until Sir John came to us just now and said you had ridden away.’

‘You were supposed to open the g … gates to me! Not idle with your no … noses in the trough!’

‘We were not sure you were coming. You were due before dinner. You said you would come in the afternoon. We gave up waiting for you. I thought the governor would have opened the gates to you himself.’

‘But he refused! And there was no-one to force him, b … b … because you were at your dinner, as usual!’

‘I’m sorry, Uncle,’ the young man replied.

‘You will be sorrier yet!’ the king said. ‘For now I have been refused admittance to one of my t … t … towns as well as being banned from my City! You have done evil, evil work this day!’ He turned on his son. ‘And you, J … James! Did you not know that your father was outside the gates?’

The prince was only eight years old. ‘No, sire,’ he said. His little voice was scarcely more than a thread in the cold evening air.

‘You have disappointed your f … father very much this day,’ Charles said gloomily. ‘Pray to G … God that we have not taught disloyal and wicked men the lesson that they can defy me and travel in their w … wicked ways and fear nothing.’

The prince’s lower lip trembled slightly. ‘I didn’t know. I am sorry, sir. I didn’t understand.’