The National Register. — London, England, 1818-11-22 00:00:00

/V V3f/a ' f!) r y a 4 tu / dhf- 4 - e l an ebt glationaii Utoiottr Our ttina, Con6titution nub alts. No. 1563.—V0L. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER (.22, 'is. PiticE DE/17.11 OF THE QUEEN. the mclancholy tidings, was about half-past twa, at Carlton Horse, by communication sealed with black, to Viscount Sidmouth, as Secretary of State for the Home Department; together with a letter to Sir Hen ry Torrens, from the Duke of York, to postpone his Royal Highness's I.:vce. The intelligence was soon circulated, and inquiries were mu le very numerously at Carlton House ; and at dace o'clock the following notification was issued:— tiro. to render the same stable and pets a rent to pt'ste rit:•, icing the first object of his reign, he had, ever since his accession to the throne, turned his thoughts to the choice of a Princess, with whom be might fin i the solace of matrimony, and the comforts of dommtic He had to announce to them, therefore, with great satisfaction, that after the most mature reflection and fullest intbrmation, he had come to a resolution to de mand in marria.ge the P:ineess Charlotte of Nlecl'ea burgh St reli tz, a Princess distinguished by every amiable virtue and elegant endowment, whose illustrious line had constantly shewn the firmest zeal in the Protestant ike4; a particalar attssehtnent to his ktijesty's family . Such were the terms in which his Majesty announcAl his Royal intention to his Council on the Bth of July,. 1761. The ticgociation commenced at Strelitz, and the Earl of Harcourt, his Majesty's Ambassador Ex., traordinary and Plenipotentiary, concluded the treaty of marriage on the 15th of August following. Pre. partitions were immediately made for the reception of the Royal Bride in England She left Meckicnhurgh on the 2: id .:of August, and arrived, after a tedious voyage of terti deys, at Harwich, on the 6th of the following month. Her Majesty rested one night, that of her arrival, upon iter journey, at the house of th.. Earl' of Abercorn, at Witham in Essex, from whence she set out early next morning, and arrived at tha " Carlton HOMO. Nor. 17. " Her Majesty expiretlat one o'clock thiscL.y, without a pain." . . Shortly after, the *flowing letter, 'seta by Lord Sidniouth to the Lord Mayor, w•as plaatrded at the Mansion Flouse:— " Whitehall, Nov. 17. " My Lori.—lt i‘ my painful duty to inform you of the deaith of Iler Majesty the Queen. This melancholy event took place at Kew l'ulace, at one o'clock this day. " I have the honour to he " Your Lordship's moxt obedient " To the Rt. lion. the Lord Muyor." " SI DMOUTI-I." It is at length our duty to announce this melancho ly, though not unlooked-for, termination of a coarse.of human suffering uncommonly protracted and severe.— That Her Maiesty should nol. have sunk before, under the complicated maladies which assailed her at so ad vanced an age, is, we are taught to believe, more sur prising to her medical attendants, than that she has ultimately yielded to their violence. The Queen was bore en the 19th of May, 17441; having hum nature a sound and vigorous frame. Until within these two years, Her Majesty enjoyed an almost uninterrupted state of health ; and, as is sometimes the case with those whose habits are regular, and whose. various bo dily powers, are thence exposed to a pretty equal prLs sure, the first very serious attack of disease was that which indicated a general breaking up of het constitu tion. The water which accumulated in her limbs and on her chest was an unequivocal symptom of the deadly stage which Her Majesty's soarings had arrived at. — This source of distress and immediate alarm was, how ever, acted upon, front time to time, both by medicines and surgical operations, which were productive of par tial, though gradually diminishing, relict; until " the potent poison quite o'crgrew” the antidotes applied to it by professional science. Each interval of repose he • came shorter than the preceding one—each sueceeding paroxysm more acute—each struggle more nearly mor- The Queen expired at Kew, about one o'clock on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1818, in the 75th year of her age. The bulletin issued on Tuesday morning was of a more than usually alanuing tendency, and served to prepare the public fir the event which was afterwards announced. It was as follows: " Kew Palace, Nov. 17. 4. The Queen's state hit night was one of great and imminent dan ger. Her Majesty continues vary ill this morning. ** F. Mll.l.M.laisio " 11. ['ALFORD.' It is asserted, that the first alarming change in the state of the Queen wus on Monday afternoon, and was of such a nature as to induce Sir Henry Halford to write to the Prince Regent to hasten his departure from London ; and the Regent immediately s , ait for the Duke of York to accompany him to Kew Palace.— Their Royal Highnesses remained at Kew till near one o'clock, when Her Majesty having recovered from her serious attack in Lhe afternoon, and there being no im mediate appearance of danger, they left their afflicted parent flit- the night. The Queen passed a disturbed night, bat only similar to what she bad frequently done fir some tin:, , past : and the physicians had sent off an commit to the Ite: , -ent a little bethrc eight o'clock to ileac aft ct• In two hours afterwards a ser i ous c h ange fie• the %verse took place, and Sir Henry Halfbrd sent oil' an express, witieb arrived warn after eleven o'clock at Carlton I louse. and the statement was so alarming, that the Prince sent instautly for the Dake of York to accompany hint to Kew. Their Royal Highnesses arrived ut Kew Palace before half past twelve, and re paired to the chamber of their expiring parent, who, we are happy to say, was perfectly sensible of their presence. The scene was .truly distressing, and the Prince Regent had the trying task of supporting his mother in her last brca'hings—u lit though melancholy close of his incessant attendance day and night, and of hay anxious contrivance of every expedient that could administer relief' and (martin to his parent, in her long aid afflicting illness of six mouths. His Royal High ness was a,:sisteal by the Duke of York and their Royal Sisters. The expiring acne—the heart-rending feel ings of the Regent, and all present, it will be equally impossible and unbecoming to attempt to describe. The brothers and sisters were supported with much difficul ty to a private room, where the , Regent continued se vend hour*, and then left for town. The first communitiatien which arrived in town of The bulletin of' the morning continued to be shown at the Queen's Palace till past four o'clock, no official aCCOUIIt of the decease of Her Majesty having been re ceivell there, till it was sent from Carlton House when the Palace was closed. In the evening, and before the post hour, a special Gazette was published, tir the ex press and sole purpose of announcing Her Majesty's decease, in the following words:— Whitehall, Nov. 17. This day, DC one o'clock. the Queen departed this life, to the inexpressible grief of the Royal Family, after a tedious illness, which Ilcr Majesty bore with the most pious fortitude and resignation.— The many great and exempla:l , virtues which so eminently distin. guished Her Majesty throughout her long life, were the object of universal es..cem and admiration amongst ull classes of His Majesty's sttl..j,xts, and render the death of this illustrious and most excellent Princess an unspeakable loss to the whole nation." Her late Majesty, whose maiden name was Charlotte Sophia, of Nleeklenburgh Strelitz, was born Nl:.y 19, 174 t. She was the youngest daughter of Charles Lewis, brother to Frederick, the third Duke of Meek lenburgh. Her father, however, though in the ininte fl4te line of inheritance, as his brother, th• Reigning ke; 1), issvc, and was unmarried, did pot suc ceed to die petnaixdity, heaied before his brother ; and thus, upon the death of Frederick, the succession devolved upon his nephew, Adolphus Frederick IV. brother to her late Majesty. In respect of her Ma jesty's union with our beloved and afflicted Sovereign, we are told by the public records of the times, that a suitable marriege for his Majesty was an urgent object of state policy. immediately on his coming to the Crown ; but his known and ardent attachment to Lady Sarah Lenox, sister to the Duke of Richmond, with some maumuvres of Mr. Fox, afterwards Lord Hol land, set on foot to foment that youthful passion. has tened the designs of the Princess Dowager of %Vales and of the Earl of Blue to bring about the royal marriage. The Princess is said to have had in view a niece of her own, at least some Princess of the Saxe Gotha Family ; hut as that House was supposed to be afflicted with a constitutional disease, that wish was over-ruled by the Cabinet. Lord Bate then sent a confidential depen dent, a Scotch Officer, reported to be Culonel Grteme, to visit the inferior German Courts, and to select front amongst them a future Queen for England. The in at were said to be, that she stmeld be perfect in her form ' of a pure blood, and healthy constitution, posses e ed of elegant accomplishments, particularly mu sic, to which the King was very much attached, and or a mild and obliging disposition. Coloeel Greene lima the Princess Apparent of Strelitz taking the eve ter% of Pyrmont, actannpanied by her two daughters, with little or no appearance of parade; and where from the freedom of communication usual at those places, and the ready means of observation, &e. it was no difficult matter to become fully acquainted with their characters and daily hah:ts. Their Serene Highnesses frequented the rooms, the walks, nntl partook of the amusements, without any distinction that should pre vent Co'onel Gr.etre from being an unsuspected attend ant on their parties. Here, it seems, he fixed on the younger Princess, as best according with his matrimo nial instructions. In short, after all due inquiries, Ste. the Princess Charlotte of Strelitz was chosen to be the consort of George HI. His Majesty had not long filled the throne befine he ateptainted his Council, in a meeting convened for the express purpose, " that haring nothing so much at heart as the evelthre and happiness of ltis people, and Palace of St. James, where she waa received by Ilia Majesty and the rest of the Royal Family. At nine its the saute eveniog the snnrriagc ceremony was s lrm razed by the Archbi.cliop. of Canterbury, in the Royal Chapel, under circumstances of appropriate splendour and respect. The usual congratulatory addresses were presented to their Majesties from both Houses of Par liament, the two Universities, and all counties, cities, and corporations in the kingdom. The Grand Assem bly of the nation prepared likewise a testimony of their duty and munificence. On being formally acquainted with the marriage of the King, they provided liir the support of her Majesty, agreeably to the Sovereign's wishes, a jointure of 100,0001. per annum, which was settled upon her by an Act of the Legislature, together with the Palace of Richmond and Somerset-have, which when thes,buffiAV/se was pulled down fur the purpose of erecting Covernment offices, was exchanged for Buckingham House. I'm the ficllowing year the joy of the nation was increased by the birth of an hair to the throne. Her Majesty's figure was very pleasing, but her countenance. though not without attraction when she smiled, could not boast any claim to beaety. It was, however, a well-known use;, that the King declared himself satisfied ex•ith his connubial eirtene. She was popular when Lord Bute's administration had rendered. the King the reverse. She gave beautiful children to the country. She interested the people of England as a fruitful mother; and was considered with, general regard as a domestic woman so much so, that Colonel Barre, then a violent opposition speaker, didivetesi a very splendid ettlogium en her " mild, tender, and un assu Ming vi rt With a truly royal foresight, she adopted, on coming. to the Throne, amid with 'inflexible firmness she ever afterwards maintained, that system of discri►uination in regard to those who were honoured by her notice, the basis of which was a delicate regard tax• female honour. Ileum it has happened that the manners of the English Court have become so conspicuous throughout Europe for their purity; and hence, too, although rives of .1 certain class can never be eradicated front 1111111911 44111- infinities, yet they have in our country been dept 'vet of that great support which arises teem the ptiblie countenance of rank and fashion, An Englishwe man, of high birth, not received at Court, is, in fact, seclud ed from the society of her equals, and even !nuke 1 down upon, with emaciate, by the lowest female oi nnimpeuched character. It is not to be calimlitted hoar great a good has been derived to English months feint this single source, in the emelt, of the last halfcent•try —a period unhappily marked by the relaxation of s 3 many other moral ti.s. About the evaittiil period of the meditated Regency, in I7Mp the Qleen Pe lof having changed a urea' degree th t whole completion and purpose of her lifj• ; an d o f having become an a 'aye and sellouts !inner • of the springs of party. But it must be remembered, that Her Majesty wes then taught to be i:ve the sup. port of the Miniaer necessary to her own defence, and even to that of the interests mid independence of her afflicted huebtuel. 111 : • . .: 4 , 7.2 • v: •