EDITOR’S NOTE: This article appears in the April 19, 2004, issue of National Review.

From A View from the Throne: My Life with George III, by Richard Clarke:

…and saw that he was satisfied mightily, which pleased us both, as was his custom with the ladies of the court, &c. “Sire,” I whispered to him whilst absently powdering his wig, “it seems that there be troubles in the American colonies which, perchance, owing to your goodself and wise forethought, might be put to a swift end quite rapidly, with but the merest signal from your thoughtful and philosophical person.”

The king looked at me quite darkly. “Troubles, sir?” he thundered. “You talk to me of troubles?”

“Sire,” I replied quite forcefully–for I was known to stand my ground, even with kings–”the American colonies are forming societies of dissent and treason. Only with forceful royal action, coordinated across administrative lines and with, say, me running the show, can a terrible outcome be prevented.”

“What outcome?” scoffed the king.

“Sire,” I intoned, “I can foresee the day when the American colonies break apart from their homeland to reform into a powerful republic.”

“Bah!” cried the king. “Nonsense and fiddlesticks!”

My dear reader may perhaps wonder at my instinctive sense and ability to read the future. ’Tis true that I have always possessed an ability to see future events quite clearly, especially upon recollection. And so it is with this particular scene wherein I warn the king of the coming War with the American Colonies–I recalled it all especially vividly directly after the War with the American Colonies, when I sat down to gather my thoughts and try to recollect how, exactly, I predicted that it would all happen just as it did. To my delight and astonishment, without too taxing an effort, I was soon able, from the vantage point of the present day, to recall with absolute clarity how, precisely, I knew that it would happen.

Later, of course, during the actual war, the king summoned me to his presence.

“Spain is behind this, am I right?” he asked.

“Sire, there is no evidence of Spanish involvement.”

“Go over everything. Find out what you can.”

“Sire, I assure you, Spain is not a party to this belligerence. France, sire, France is–”

“Talk to me not of France! The devil take France! I want Spain punished!”

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