could not be moved from this decision, the presentation was postponed.

The feeling on both sides grew more and more bitter. In January 1813 a strong protest by the Princess of Wales was sent to the Prince Regent on the subject of the separation between mother and daughter. This concluded correctly, but not, in the circumstances, unamusingly, "I am, Sir, with profound respect, and an attachment which nothing can alter, Your Royal Highness's Most devoted and most affectionate Consort, Cousin, and Subject, Caroline Amelia." Lord Liverpool and Lord Eldon, through whom the letter was sent, returned it unopened, stating that His Royal Highness had years before declared he would never receive any communication from his Consort, and that he adhered to that decision. It was sent again to the Ministers, with a covering note from Lady Charlotte Campbell, stating that the Princess of Wales was confident that they would not take upon themselves the responsibility of not communicating the letter to the Prince Regent, as it was inconceivable that Her Royal Highness should be the only subject in the kingdom whose petition was not permitted to reach the Throne. This communication, doubtless drafted by Brougham, did not make agreeable reading either to Lord Liverpool or Lord Eldon, who were far from desiring to be saddled with any responsibility in the matter, and who could see that there were serious dangers ahead. They promptly declared that they had "never declined to be the channel of any communication which the Princess of Wales might be pleased to inform them that Her Royal Highness was desirous of making to the Prince Regent through his confidential servants," that they had laid the letter before His Royal Highness, with whom the decision rested as to whether

he would receive it or not, and that they had his commands again to return it.

On the advice of Brougham, the original protest was sent to the Morning Chronicle, where it appeared on February 10, 1813.

The Prince Regent's retort was to cancel the permission he had given for the Princess Charlotte to visit her mother on the following day.

Now that the matter had been made public, it was evident to the members of the Government that some definite step must be taken. The Prince Regent had already asked the Cabinet to deal with the question of the regulation of the intercourse between Caroline and her daughter that is to say, he meant them to justify his conduct. The Ministers were very anxious not to involve themselves, but they could not escape, since the education of the heir to the throne was a matter of State. Eventually a Committee was appointed, consisting of twenty-three Privy Councillors including twelve members of the Cabinet, four bishops, the same number of judges, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, Charles Abbot. For all practical purposes this enquiry was the investigation of 1805 over again. There was much controversy between the members of the Committee. Lord Eldon would not agree to any document that did not declare the Princess of Wales innocent; Lord Ellenborough would not subscribe to any document that did not declare her guilty. guilty. In the end, a report was drawn up advising the Prince Regent that the intercourse between Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales and Her Royal Highness the Princess Charlotte should continue to be subject to regulation and restraint."

Thereupon, the Princess of Wales sent the

following letter to Lord Harrowby, President of the Council:

"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 resolution 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 anything 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 enquiry may be carried out; but she is perfectly willing to have her whole conduct enquired into by the 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 be either treated as innocent, or proved to be guilty."

Letters to the same effect were sent to the Lord Chancellor and to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

LL

Lord Eldon returned the letter, with a note that, by command of the Prince Regent, the visits of the Princess Charlotte to her mother were to be discontinued. The Speaker, however, held it to be his duty to read the letter to the House of Commons. That a Princess of Wales should find it necessary to appeal to Parliament that she should be " either treated as innocent, or proved to be guilty," created a profound impression throughout the country. The people showed their feeling by hooting the Queen when she appeared, and remaining silent when the Prince Regent drove through the streets; while the Princess of Wales and the Princess Charlotte were cheered to the echo whenever they showed themselves. There was a debate in Parliament at the beginning of March, and then Lord Castlereagh, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, denounced Sir John and Lady Douglas as perjurers. There was, for the moment, nothing more to be done or said. "The Ministers, or rather Lord Castlereagh and some of his colleagues," Sir Samuel Romilly said, "to save themselves from the disgrace which their factious conduct on this subject in 1807 must draw upon them whenever the papers shall be published, concur in acquitting the Princess of all blame, and consequently throw all the odium of the neglect she has experienced upon the Prince." So satisfied were the Princess's supporters that they abandoned their motive for an open enquiry. "The most complete defiance on the part of the Princess of Wales had been thrown out, in the presence of those persons who had the fullest opportunity of enquiry, and whose duty it was to enquire into every part of her conduct," said Samuel Whitbread. "So completely did she now appear acquitted of all impossible imputation of blame, even by the persons from whom the aspersions were, by the world, supposed,

in the last Report, to have been thrown upon her, that it is in my mind unnecessary to press the matter to a division. Her innocence is acknowledged entire-complete. To such restrictions as the Prince Regent, in his capacity of father of the Princess Charlotte, or by the advice of his Ministry, might think proper to impose upon her intercourse with her daughter she must submit. It is her lot. But she has the satisfaction of knowing that her reputation henceforth is, by the confession of all, without imputation or reproach."

The Princess of Wales said of the proceedings in the House of Commons that, though it was in some measure satisfactory, she was not yet satisfied. Whitbread gave notice in the House of Commons that two days later he would move for an Address to the Prince Regent praying His Royal Highness to order a prosecution for perjury to be instituted against Lady Douglas. He also stated that he had drafted a letter for the Princess in which she made" dignified submission " to His Royal Highness, but, he added, this letter had not been sent because it had come to his knowledge that the Prince Regent had yet on foot a further secret enquiry into the life and demeanour of the Princess since her arrival in this country, that Sir John Douglas was constantly at Carlton House in connection with this matter, and that the Solicitor to the Treasury and others were still endeavouring to collect evidence detrimental to Her Royal Highness. Whitbread challenged Lord Castlereagh to refute these statements, but the Minister made no reply in the House. Lord Castlereagh, however, went at once to the Prince Regent, and said that he would forthwith resign unless the secret enquiry was stopped once for all. The Douglases were seen no more at Carlton House; Sir John was dismissed from the Household of the