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which they have been conducted, have brought

upon me.

I remain, Sire,

With every sentiment of gratitude,
Your Majesty's most dutiful,

most submissive Daughter-in-law,
Subject and Servant,

(Signed)

Montague-House, February 16, 1807.

C. P.

As these observations apply not only to the official communication through the Lord Chancellor, of the 28th ult. ; but also to the private letter of your Majesty, of the 12th instant, I have thought it most respectful to your Majesty and your Majesty's servants, to send this letter in duplicate, one part through Colonel Taylor, and the other through the Lord Chancellor, to your Majesty.

To the King.

SIRE,

(Signed)

C. P.

When I last troubled your Majesty upon my unfortunate business, I had raised my mind to hope, that I should have the happiness of hearing from your Majesty, and receiving your gracious commands, to pay my duty in your Royal Presence, before the expiration of the last week. And when that hope was disappointed, (eagerly clinging to any idea, which offered me a prospect of being saved from the necessity of having recourse, for the vindication of my character, to the publication of the Proceedings upon the Inquiry into my Conduct), I thought it just possible, that the reason for my not having received your Majesty's commands to that effect, might have been occasioned by the

circumstance of your Majesty's staying at Windsor through the whole of the week. I, therefore, determined to wait a few days longer, before I took a step, which, when once taken, could not be recalled. Having, however, now assured myself, that your Majesty was in town yesterday-as I have received no command to wait upon your Majesty, and no intimation of your pleasure-I am reduced to the necessity of abandoning all hope, that your Majesty will comply with my humble, my earnest, and anxious requests.

Your Majesty, therefore, will not be surprised to find, that the publication of the Proceedings alluded to, will not be withheld beyond Monday next.

As to any consequences which may arise from such publication, unpleasant or hurtful to my own feelings and interests, I may, perhaps, be properly responsible; and, in any event, have no one to complain of but myself, and those with whose advice I have acted; and whatever those consequences may be, I am fully and unalterably convinced, that they must be incalculably less than those, which I should be exposed to from my silence: Eut as to any other consequences, unpleasant or hurtful to the feelings and interests of others, or of the public, my conscience will certainly acquit me of them ;-I am confident that I have not acted impatiently, or precipitately. To avoid coming to this painful extremity, I have taken every step in my power, except that which would be abandoning my character to utter infamy, and my station and life to no uncertain danger, and, possibly, to no very distant destruction.

With every prayer, for the lengthened continuance of your Majesty's health and happiness; for every possible blessing, which a Gracious God can bestow upon the beloved Monarch of a loyal People, and for the continued prosperity of your dominions, under your Majesty's propitious reign, I remain, Your Majesty's

Most dutiful, loyal, and affectionate,
but most unhappy, and most injured
Daughter-in-law, Subject, and Servant,
Montague House, Mar. 5, 1807.
To the King.

SIRE,*

C. P.

IN discharge of the duty I owe to myself, and the great duty I owe to your Majesty and your Illustrious Family, I have herewith transmitted a statement which I confidently trust will appear to prove me not unworthy of the protection and favour with which your Majesty has pleased to honour me.

To be restored to that favour and protection, in consequence of a conviction in your Majesty's mind of my innocence, produced by the papers, I now humbly lay before your Majesty, is the first wish of my heart.

Grieved, Sire, deeply grieved, as I cannot but be, that your Majesty should be exposed to so much trouble, on so painful an occasion, and on my account, it is yet my humble trust that your Majesty will graciously forgive me, if extreme anxiety about my honour and your Majesty's favourable opinion, leads me humbly to solicit, as an act of justice, that scrupulous attention on your Majesty's

* This letter accompanied the Princess's Answer to the Commissioners' teport, and should have been inserted after page 180.

part to these papers, which cannot fail, I think, to produce in your Majesty's inind, a full conviction of my innocence, and a due sense of the injuries I have suffered.

One other prayer I, with all possible humility and anxiety, address to your Majesty, that, as I can hope for no happiness, nor expect to enjoy the benefit of that fair reputation to which I know I am entitled, till I am re admitted into your Majesty's presence, and as I am in truth without guilt, suffering what to me is heavy punishment, whilst I am denied access to your Majesty, your Majesty will be graciously pleased to form an early determination whether my conduct and my sufferings do not authorize me to hope that the blessing of being restored to your Majesty's presence may be conferred upon, Sire, your Majesty's dutifully attached, affectionate, and afflicted daughter-in-law and subject,

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Lord Chancellor (ELDON) The Earl of BATHURST
Lord President (CAMDEN) Viscount CASTLEREAGH
Lord Privy Seal (WEST- Lord MULGRAVE

MORLAND)
Mr. Secretary CANNING
The Duke of PORTLAND Lord HAWKESbury.
The Earl of CHATHAM

Your Majesty's confidential servants have, in obedience to your Majesty's commands, most attentive.

-ly considered the original Charges and Report, the Minutes of Evidence, and all the other papers submitted to the consideration of your Majesty, on the subject of those charges against her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.

In the stage in which this business is brought under their consideration, they do not feel themselves called upon to give any opinion as to the proceeding itself, or to the mode of investigation in which it has been thought proper to conduct it. But adverting to the advice which is stated by his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to have dihis conduct, your Majesty's confidential servants are anxious to impress upon your Majesty their conviction that his Royal Highness could not, under such advice, consistently with his public duty, have done otherwise than lay before your Majesty the Statement and Examinations which were submitted to him upon this subject.

After the most deliberate consideration, however, of the evidence which has been brought before the Commissioners, and of the previous examination, as well as of the answer and observations which have been submitted to your Majesty upon them, they feel it necessary to declare their decided concurrence in the clear and unanimous opinion of the Commissioners, confirmed by that of all your Majesty's late. confidential servants, that the two main charges alleged against her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, of pregnancy and delivery, are completely disproved; and they further submit to your Majesty, their unanimous opinion, that all other particulars of conduct brought in accusation against her

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