However, this has been customary in the two last reigns.
George III. never dined but with his family, never had guests, or
a dinner _party_.

The Queen sat for some time at table, talking away very merrily
to her neighbours, and the men remained about a quarter of an
hour after the ladies. When we went into the drawing-room, and
huddled about the door in the sort of half-shy, half-awkward way
people do, the Queen advanced to meet us, and spoke to everybody
in succession, and if everybody's 'palaver' was as deeply
interesting as mine, it would have been worth while to have had
Gurney to take it down in short-hand. The words of kings and
queens are precious, but it would be hardly fair to record a
Royal after-dinner colloquy.... After a few insignificant
questions and answers,--gracious smile and inclination of head on
part of Queen, profound bow on mine, she turned again to Lord
Grey. Directly after I was (to my satisfaction) deposited at the
whist table to make up the Duchess of Kent's party, and all the
rest of the company were arranged about a large round table (the
Queen on the sofa by it), where they passed about an hour and a
half in what was probably the smallest possible talk, interrupted
and enlivened, however, by some songs which Lord Ossulston sang.
We had plenty of instrumental music during and after dinner. To
form an opinion or the slightest notion of her real character and
capacity from such a formal affair as this, is manifestly
impossible. Nobody expects from her any clever, amusing, or
interesting talk, above all no stranger can expect it. She is
very civil to everybody, and there is more of frankness,
cordiality, and good-humour in her manner than of dignity. She
looks and speaks cheerfully: there was nothing to criticise,
nothing particularly to admire. The whole thing seemed to be
dull, perhaps unavoidably so, but still so dull that it is a
marvel how anybody can like such a life. This was an unusually
large party, and therefore more than usually dull and formal; but
it is much the same sort of thing every day. Melbourne was not
there, which I regretted, as I had some curiosity to see Her
Majesty and her Minister together. I had a few words with Lord
Grey, and soon found that the Government are in no very good
odour with him. He talked disparagingly of them, and said, in
reference to the recent debate, that 'he thought Peel could not
have done otherwise than he did.'

March 17th, 1838 {p.078}