powers of the Crown, with an experience of the world more confined than that of the most private individual. To the ex traordinary talents with which she is blessed, and which ac company a disposition as singularly amiable, frank, and decided, I willingly trust much; but beyond a certain point the greatest natural endowments cannot struggle against the disadvantages of circumstances and situation. It is my earnest prayer, for her own sake, as well as her country's, that your Royal Highness may be induced to pause before this point, be reached. "Those who have advised you, sir, to delay so long the period of my daughter's commencing her intercourse with the world, and for that purpose to make Windsor her residence, appear not` to have regarded the interruptions to her education which this arrangement occasions; both by the impossibility of obtaining the attendance of proper teachers, and the time unavoidably consumed in the frequent journies to town, which she must make, unless she is to be secluded from all intercourse, even with your Royal Highness and the rest of the royal family. To the same unfortunate counsels I ascribe a circumstance in every way so distressing both to my parental and religious feelings, that my daughter has never yet enjoyed the benefit of confirmation, although above a year older than the age at which all the other branches of the royal family have partaken of that solemnity. May I carnestly conjure you, sir, to hear my intreaties upon this serious matter, even if you should listen to other advisers on things of less near concernment to the welfare of our child? "The pain with which I have at length formed the resolution of addressing myself to your Royal Highness is such as I should in vain attempt to express. If I could adequately describe it, you might be enabled, sir, to estimate the strength of the motives which have made me submit to it. They are the most powerful feelings of affection, and the deepest impressions of duty towards your Royal Highness, my beloved child, and the country, which I devotedly hope she may be preserved to govern, and to shew, by a new example, the liberal affection of a free and generous people to a virtuous and constitutional monarch. "I am, Sir, with profound respect, and an attachment which nothing can alter, Your Royal Highness's Most devoted and most affectionate (Signed) CAROLINE LOUISA." "Montague House, Jan. 14, 1813. Various Cabinet Meetings and Proceedings succeeded this letter almost immediately. We must now advert to another circumstance connected with the Investigation. The Princess Charlotte having been indisposed, previously to the Fete given by the Prince Regent, at Carlton House, on the 5th of February, and this illness afterwards increasing, her Royal Highness was necessarily obliged to defer her return to Windsor. In consequence of this, the * Princess of Wales, on the 8th of February, addressed herself to-Lord Liverpool, desiring that he would communicate to the Prince Regent her Royal Highness's intention to visit the Princess Charlotte at Warwick-house. Lord Liverpool replied, that he was happy to announce the Princess Charlotte so much better, that her Royal Highness would be able to visit the Princess of Wales, at Kensington Palace, on the following Thursday, February the 11th. On that morning, the Princess of Wales received information that the Princess Charlotte was refused coming. 33 Upon this, the Princess of Wales again addressed Lord Liverpool to know the reason, none having been assigned, for the Princess Charlotte's being thus suddenly prohibited from giving the meeting to her royal mother, and when and how soon her Royal Highness might expect to see the Princess Charlotte. To this inquiry, the Princess of Wales received the following reply from Lord Liverpool: I (COPY.) "Fife-house, Feb. 14, 1813. "Lord Liverpool has the honour to inform your Royal Highness, that in consequence of the publication, in the Morning Chronicle of the 10th inst., of a letter addressed by your Royal Highness to the Prince Regent, bis Royal Highness thought fit, by the advice of his confidential servants, to signify his commands that the intended visit of the Princess Charlotte to your Royal Highness, on the following day, should not take place. "Lord Liverpool is not enabled to make any further communication to your Royal Highness on the subject of your Royal Highness's note." To this letter, the Princess of Wales commanded Lady Anne Hamilton, her lady in waiting, to reply, as follows, to Lord Liverpool : "Montague-House, Blackheath, Feb. 15, 1813. "Lady Anne Hamilton is commanded by her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales to represent to Lord Liverpool that the insidious insinuation, respecting the publication of the letter addressed by the Princess of Wales, on the 14th of January, to the Prince Regent, conveyed in his lordship's reply to her Royal Highness, is as void of foundation and as Ifalse as all the former accusations of the traducers of her Royal Highness's honour in the year 1806. "Lady A. Hamilton is further commanded to say, that dignified silence would have been the line of conduct the Princess would have preserved upon such insinuation (more than unbecoming Lord Liverpool), did not the effect arising from it, operate to deprive her Royal Highness of the sole real happiness she can possess in this world---that of seeing her only child. And the confidential servants of the Prince Regent ought to feel ashamed of their conduct towards the Princess, in avowing to her Royal Highness their advice to the Prince Regent, that upon unauthorized and unfounded suppositions, a mother and daughter should be prevented from meeting---a prohibition positively against the law of nature.---Lady Anne Hamilton is commanded further to desire Lord Liverpool to lay this paper before the Prince Regent, that his Royal Highness may be aware into what errors his confidential servants are leading him, and will involve him, by counselling and signifying such commands. Here closed the correspondence. The Cabinet meetings still continued to be held, and the Princess of Wales not being informed concerning the nature, form, and object of their proceedings, her Royal Highness on the 27th of February, addressed the subjoined letter to the Earl of Harrowby: Copy of a letter addressed by the Princess of Wales to the Earl of Harrowby, Feb. 27, 1813. "The Princess of Wales has received reports from various quarters of certain proceedings lately held by his Majesty's Privy Council respecting her Royal Highness; and the Princess has felt persuaded that these reports must be unfounded, because she could not believe it possible that any resolution should be taken by that most honourable body in any respect affecting her Royal Highness, upon statements which she has had no opportunity of answering, explaining, or even seeing. "The Princess still trusts that there is no truth in these rumours; but she feels it due to herself to lose no time in protesting against any resolutions affecting her Royal Highness, which may be so adopted. "The noble and right honourable persons who are said to have been selected for these proceedings, are too just to decide any thing touching her Royal Highness, without affording her an opportunity of laying her case before them. The Princess has not had any power to choose the Judges before whom any inquiry may be carried on; but she is perfectly willing to have her whole conduct inquired into by any persons who may be selected by her accusers. The Princess only demands that she may be heard in defence or in explanation of her conduct, if it is attacked; and that she should either be treated as innocent, or proved to be guilty." с A copy of the Report of the honourable the Privy Council, having been laid before the Prince Regent, was transinitted to her Royal Highness by Viscount Sidmouth, on the evening of the day on which the above letter was sent ;--and Lord Harrowby replied to her Royal Highness, by letter, to this effect. The Report is as follows :-- TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE Regent. The following members of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, viz. His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, The right honourable the Lord High Chancellor, His Grace the Archbishop of York, His Grace the Lord Primate of Ireland, The Lord President of the Council, The Lord Privy Seal, The Earl of Buckinghamshire, The Earl Bathurst, The Earl of Liverpool, The Earl of Mulgrave, The Viscount Melville, The Viscount Sidmouth, The Viscount Castlereagh, The right honourable the Lord Bishop of London, The right honourable Lord Ellenborough, Lord Chief The right hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons, His honour the Master of the Rolls, The right honourable the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas*, *The Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas was prevented by indisposition from attending, during any part of these proceedings. |