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prince alone, and not extending it to the other branches, as they were styled the "royal family," which rendered it unnecessary. The substitution of a conjunction was absolutely necessary, in order to render the reading correct: "their royal high

nesses George prince of Wales, and the princess of Wales, and all the royal family."

CHAPTER IV.

Birth of her royal highness the princess Charlotte -The christening-Addresses on the occasionThe Prince refuses to receive the congratulations of the City of London-Conference of his R. H. with the Lord Mayor.

IN the course of nine calendar months, wanting one day, from her marriage, her royal highness the princess of Wales was safely delivered of a princess at Carlton House, between the hours of nine and ten o'clock in the morning of January 7, 1796. The accouchement was conducted with the usual formalities; his royal highness the duke of Gloucester, his grace the archbishop of Canterbury, the lord chancellor, the lord president of his majesty's council, the duke of Leeds, the lord chamberlain, earl Cholmondeley, lord Thurlowe, and the ladies of the princess of Wales's bed chamber, were present at the birth. The prince of Wales also attended on this interesting occasion.

The royal infant was christened in the grand audience chamber at Carlton-house, on the 11th of February, by his grace the archbishop of Canterbury, when she received the name of Charlotte Augusta, after her grandmother and mother. The

sponsors were, the king, the queen, and the duchess of Brunswick, represented by the princess royal. In the ode for the new year, the poet laureat thus alluded to the birth of the royal child "Propitious Heaven has o'er thy head "Blossoms of richer fragrance shed, "Than all th' assiduous muse can bring, "Cull'd from the honeyed stores of Spring; "For see amid wild Winter's hours, "A bud its silken folds displays, "Sweeter than all the chalic'd flowers

"That crown thy own ambrosial May; "Oh, may thy smiles, blest infant, prove "Omens of CONCORD and of LOVE."

Addresses of congratulation, on the birth of the princess Charlotte, were voted by both houses of parliament, and presented to their majesties; those to their royal highnesses the prince and princess of Wales, were received in a private manner. Numerous addresses came from all parts of the country, but the City of London, as usual, was early in their congratulatory compliments. It having been intimated, however, to the lord mayor, by lord Cholmondeley, "that the prince of Wales being under the necessity of reducing his establishment, was precluded from receiving the addresses in a manner suitable to his situation;" and it having been requested that copies of the addresses might be sent to him, it was moved by Mr. deputy Birch

"That his royal highness the prince of Wales having stated that the inadequacy of his establishment precluded him from receiving the compliments of congratulation voted to be presented to their royal highnesses in a way suitable to his situation, this court are of opinion that they cannot, consistently with their own dignity, suffer the said compliments to be presented in any other way than the customary form."

After some conversation this motion was agreed to, and the remembrancer was ordered to convey a copy thereof to his royal highness.

At the next court of common-council, the lord mayor rose to state to the court the conference he had had with the prince of Wales, on the subject of not receiving the congratulatory address of the city in the usual form, observing, that in a matter of so delicate a nature, he had thought it his duty to commit the purport of his conversation in writing, which, with the leave of the court, he would wish to read. The communication was as follows.

"In consequence of a letter from lord Cholmondeley, dated, January 31, 1796, stating, that his royal highness the Prince of Wales, wished to speak to me at Carlton house, and to give me a private audience on Tuesday, (but which appointment was afterwards, by a second letter, fixed for Monday, at one o'clock.) I had the honor of wait

ing on his royal highness, who addressed me by saying, that he had seen with concern in the public papers a statement of what had passed in the court of common council on Thursday, respecting a letter written by lord Cholmondeley, at the command of his royal highness, and sent to the city remembrancer, conveying his sentiments on the intended address of congratulation to their royal highnesses, which sentiments he conceived had been mistaken or misunderstood, or at least a very different construction had been given to them than he meant, or was intended to be conveyed by that letter. His royal highness said, that he thought it incumbent upon him to preserve a consistent character; that as his establishment, for certain reasons, had been reduced, and that the necessary state appendages attached to the rank and character of the Prince of Wales did not in consequence exist, his royal highness conceived that he could not receive an address in state, and particularly from the corporation of the city of London, for which he entertained the highest veneration and respect. His royal highness, therefore, thought it would appear disrespectful to the first body corporate in the kingdom, to receive the members of it inconsistently with his own character and dignity."

A writer of the day highly censured this refusal of his royal highness the Prince of Wales, to re