CHAPTER III.

The Princess of Wales and Royal Family visit Covent Garden Theatre-Fete at Frogmore in Celebration of the Nuptials-Provision granted by Parliament for their Royal Highness's, and for the Discharge of the Prince's Debts-Remarks by the Duke of Clarence-The Prince's Economy-False Reports of the Day-The Prayer for the Royal Family altered by Authority -Its Inaccuracy.

A FEW days after the royal marriage, the prince and princess of Wales accompanied their majesties and five princesses to Covent Garden Theatre, to see "Life's Vagaries," and "Windsor Castle." As it was the first time of the princess of Wales's appearance in public, every part of the theatre was crowded as soon as the doors were opened. Their royal highnesses entered about a quarter past six, and the princess was received with the loudest acclamations of joy and congratulation. The princess of Wales seemed very highly to enjoy the scene: she was highly gratified with the heartfelt tributes of applause, which she received for the first time from a British audience, and which she repaid by the most enchanting affability and condescension.

In celebration of the royal nuptials, the queen gave a grand fete at Frogmore, on the 21st of May. At six o'clock in the evening, their majesties and the princesses went there, and at half past nine they were joined by the prince and princess of Wales, and the duke and duchess of York. The ball immediately commenced : eleven tables were laid for supper, and at 12 o'clock one hundred and seventy persons sat down. The room was beautifully decorated with artificial flowers, interwoven with bay leaves running up the pillars. The upper part of the room where their majesties sat, was ornamented with three beautiful paintings of flowers, executed by the princess Elizabeth. The ball room was elegantly decorated with artificial flowers, and the cieling was painted in imitation of the firmament, the effect of which was uncommonly fine. In the centre of the room was an elegant white and silver feather, with the initials, G. C. P. and the centre of the supper room was decorated with a beautiful transparent star, with a number of variegated lamps, in festoons. The dancing recommenced after supper, and the rest of the company did not separate till near four in the morning.

The ladies were universally dressed in white, with white feathers in their heads, intermixed with diamonds. The gentlemen were generally in blue and gold

At this time the greatest harmony prevailed, and

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both the nobility as well as the populace fondly anticipated that the royal couple would have enjoyed together much uninterrupted felicity. Some days after the nuptials, a message was received from his majesty, on the subject of an establishment for their royal highnesses, suitable to their rank and dignity, and which would enable his royal highness to extricate himself from his pecuniary embarrassments. The consideration of his majesty's message occasioned some debates in the house of commons, as parliament had previously (May 1787) paid his royal highness's debts, when “his majesty had received from his royal bighness the strongest assurances that no such embarrassment should again occur.”

The chancellor of the exchequer proposed an augmentation of 65,0001. a year, 25,0001, of which should be appropriated to the extinction of his debts, with 13,0001. a year arising out of the duchy of Cornwall, to be erected into a fund of compound interest. He also proposed 25,0001. for completing Carlton house, 28,0001. to defray the preparatory expenses of the marriage, and 50,0001. as a jointure to her royal highness, which did not exceed what was formerly granted on similar occasions. He then stated the claims on his royal highness amounted nearly to 630,000l. On the nature and amount of these debts, he dwelt with much becoming severity, though he lamented the necessity he was ua

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der of animadverting on the prodigality which had occasioned them.

On the first of June, Mr. Anstruther was authorized on the part of his royal highness to express bis utmost alacrity and readiness to acquiesce in any limitations or restrictions which the wisdom of the house might think it proper to lay down for appropriating a part of his income to the liquidation of his debts. The prince of Wales's Establishment Bill having passed, the commissioners appointed for discharging the debts were, the speaker of the house of commons for the time being, the chancellor of the exchequer, the master of the rolls, the master of his majesty's household, the accomptant-general of the high court of chancery, and the surveyor-general of the crown lands.

The following remarks on this bill were made in the house of peers by bis royal highness the duke of Clarence.

“ It naturally and properly becomes an object to grant a suitable establishment to the prince on account of his marriage. In granting this establishment, it may be supposed that the prince has now come at an age at which he is fully capable of acting for himself, and will, of his own accord, be disposed to take measures to free himself from any incumbrances which he might have contracted. But instead of this, instead of allowing him the merit, and taking measures of his own accord, to

pay his creditors, the authors of the bill had taken the popularity of such a step out of his hands. The other provision, which makes the different officers of his royal highness's household responsible for the expenses incurred under their several departments, I highly approve. I conceive it to be a measure extremely necessary for the dignity and comfort of every prince of Wales. A prince of Wales, by a particular law, became of age at eighteeen, while every other subject was not of age till twenty-one. A young man at that age, when the passions were at the height, and in his situation, may be led into expenses beyond his income, and which perhaps may border on extravagance; but such a circumstance I cannot consider as a serious reflection on a young man of eighteen.

"It was a matter of public notoriety, that when the prince of Wales's marriage was agreed upon, there was a stipulation that he should, in the event of that union, be exonerated from his debts. What could his royal highness understand by this stipulation, but that measures should be taken for the immediate exoneration of those debts-not, as by the provisions of the bill, be left hanging over for space of nine years and a half, and perhaps even a longer period."

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After further remarks his royal highness alluded to the situation of the princess of Wales" a lovely and AMIABLE Woman, torn from her family, for