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النشر الإلكتروني

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Princess of Wales's Pension.

CHAPTER IV.

Increase of Pension to the Princess of Wales-Her proposed Departure, and Resignation of Rangership-Parliamentary Conversations--Princess Charlotte retires to Cranbourn Lodge-Familiar Intercourse at Windsor-Education and Accomplishments-Anecdotes, &c.-Visit to Weymouth.

IN proceeding thus far, we have slightly anticipated an event of great importance to the feelings and happiness of the youthful Princess--the departure of her mother on a continental excursion, a project in which she was materially assisted by the very extraordinary turn which the avowed counsellors of her Royal Highness gave to her affairs in Parliament, by reducing all her complaints to the single one of a deficient income. It is unnecessary to remind our readers, that the Cabinet Ministers instantly accorded with this demand, and proposed a grant of £50,000 per annum, which Parliament sanctioned, but which was reduced to £36,000, at the Princess's own request; a measure which Mr. Whitbread afterwards stated to be by his advice, as he thought that sum fully sufficient, and was therefore anxious to save the public purse the expense of the extra sum. The readiness with which the Ministers, as well as his Royal Highness, acceded to every part of this transaction, was both astonishing and pleasing to Parliament and the country. It is not the object of our biographical memoir to inquire,

Intended Tour notified.

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whether or not Ministers were aware of what was to follow the debate of the 4th of July, and its consequent pecuniary arrangements; but it is evident that those, who considered themselves her Royal Highness's confidential friends, were much surprised, after their economical advice, to find, by a letter from the Princess of Wales to the Prince Regent, through Lord Liverpool, on the 25th of the month, (F) that it was her intention instantly to leave the kingdom. In this letter, her Royal Highness, as already alluded to, declared, that in taking this step she was actuated by the most urgent motives, that of restoring tranquillity to the Prince, as well as to secure that peace of mind of which she herself had for so many years been deprived. This tour, she said, would have been undertaken long before, had she not been detained by the breach of the intended union of her daughter with the Prince of Orange, as she could not resolve to leave her at a period so critical. Her Royal Highness next stated her intention of returning first to Brunswick, her native country, after which she would visit Italy and Greece probably to reside in one of those countries some years, provided she could meet with an agreeable abode. She then notified her resignation of Montague House, Blackheath, and also of the Rangership of Greenwich Park, both of which she wished to be conferred on the Princess Charlotte; concluding with some

G

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Further Correspondence.

explanation of her reasons in regard to proposing and accepting a diminished income. She further stated, that the previous secrecy in which her intentions had been enveloped, arose from a wish to avoid all further debates in Parliament; she therefore waited its rising, but was then about to set off for Worthing, from whence she would embark for the Continent without delay. She also addressed a letter to Mr. Whitbread, explanatory of her past conduct and future intentions, adding, that she was assured the Princess Charlotte would thence be more happy and tranquil, since the making this sacrifice would present fewer obstacles to her appearance in public, especially if she should remain some time longer unmarried. On the third day after sending the communication to the Earl of Liverpool, her Royal Highness received an answer, approving of her intentions generally, and leaving her future plans entirely to her own discretion; and she was also informed, that although the Prince Regent did not mean to throw any obstacles in the way of arrangements respecting the house on Blackheath, which belonged to the late Dutchess of Brunswick, or the rest of her private property, still he could not permit the Princess Charlotte to be Ranger of the Park, nor to occupy any of the houses on the heath, which the Princess of Wales had hitherto occupied.

The whole of this affair soon spread through the political world, and on the 30th of July was noticed

Princess of Wales leaves England.

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in the House of Commons by Mr. Tierney, who hinted his knowledge of the fact, that the Princess of Wales had made application, through his Majesty's Ministers, for permission to return to the Continent, for the purpose of a temporary visit to her brother at Brunswick; at the same time he entered his protest against any thing like a perpetual absence. Of this protest very little notice was taken by either side of the House, and on the 9th of August, the Princess of Wales, accompanied by Lady Charlotte Lindsey, embarked at Lancing on board the Jason frigate-" to which determination, it is said, her Royal Highness was induced by the eloquence of Mr. Canning and Lord Levison Gower," as asserted in a morning paper; but we profess not to meddle with political intrigue, and leave the world to form their own opinion from the documents in the Appendix.

It is understood that this plan was not announced to the Princess Charlotte until on the eve of its execution: and there is every reason to believe that it was, to her, a matter of very serious regret; for, independent of all party feeling, or private opinion her attachment to her mother must be remembered by all of us with equal respect and sympathy. With what firmness of mind, and with what true and generous courage did she resist the example of the Court around her; and, justly deeming that she owed her filial duty to both parents alike, refused

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Removal to Cranbourn Lodge.

to adopt the part of the one so as to withdraw her from affectionate offices to the other. She was in

deed the sole consolation of her Royal Mother whilst she remained in England; and even her Father, and the party who were supposed to be immediately attached to his wishes, could not refuse their respect to a child thus resolutely adhering to her parent. Accordingly, even in the household of Carlton House, no one was more fondly regarded than this Princess, though it was sometimes regretted that she could not be more detached from her mother, when the proposed arrangements for her future establishment removed her residence to Cranbourn Lodge, whither she repaired for the remainder of that year, and was still residing at the period of completing her nineteenth year, on January 7, 1815, when her birth-day was observed for the first time at Windsor. Her Royal Aunts proceeded in the morning to Cranbourn Lodge, to compliment their niece upon the return of the day; and an entertainment was given at Frogmore, where the Princess had the pleasure to receive the congratulations of the Nobility and the Queen. Music was called in to conclude the festivities of the day; nor did the Princess fail to experience new tokens of affection in presents from her relatives; a fact which we the more particularly record, in order to disprove the silly stories of family jealousies, which were then flying about. She was well known to

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