The National Register.
London, England, 1818-11-23 00:00:00

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No. 563.—V0L. XI.

DEATH OF THE QUEEN.

ft is at length our duty to announce this melancho-
-1,,, though not unlooked-for, termination of a course of
I•a:man suffering uncommonly protracted and severe.—
That Her Majesty should not have sunk before, under
tae 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
born on the 19th of May, 1741; having from nature
a sound and vigorous fraiae. 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 pres-
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 unequiuocal symptom of the deadly
,Stage which Her Majesty's sufferings bad arrived at.—
This source of distress and immediate alarm was, how-
ever, acted upon, from time to time, both by medicines
and surgical operations, which were productive of par-
tial, though gradually diminishing, relief, 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 succeeding
paroxysm more acute—each struggle more nearly mor-
tal. The Queen expired at Kew, about one o'clock on
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1813, in the 75th year of her age.
The bulletin issued on Tuesday morning was of a
more than usually alarming tendency, and served to
prepare the public for the event which was afterwards
aniaounced. It was as follows:

" Kew Palace, Nov. 17.
" The Queen's state 14.,t night was one of great and imminent dan-
ger. lier I,ijeaty continues very ill this morning.
•• F..IIiI.I.MAN.
" 11. IIALFORD."

It is asserted, that the first alarming change in the
state of the Queen was on Monday afternoon, and was
of s,ach a nature as to induce Sir Henry Haltlinl to
write to the Prince Regent to hasten his departure
from London; and the Regent immediately sent for
the Duke of York to accompany him to Kew Palace.—
T.ieir Royal Highnesses remained at Kew till near one
o'clock, when Her Majesty having recovered from her
serious attach in the afternoon, and there being no im-
mediate appearance of danger, they left their afflicted
parent for the might. The Queen passed a disturbed
night, but only similar to what she had frequently done
for some time past : and the physicians hail sent off an
account to the Regent a little *fire eight o'clock to
that effect. In two hours afterwards a serious change
fur the worse took place, and Sir Henry Halford sent
off an express, which arrived soon after eleven o'clock
at Carlton I louse, and the statement was so alarming,
that the Prince scut instantly for the Doke of York to
accompany him to Kew. Their Royal Highnesses
arrived at Ke•.v Palace before half past twelve, and re-
paired to the chamber of their expiring parent, who,
we are happy to sily, 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 brew hings—a fit though melancholy
close of his incessant attendance day and night, and of
his anxious contrivance of' every expedient that could
administer relief and comfort to his parent, in her long
and afflicting illness of six months. Ilia Royal High-
ness was assisted by the Duke of York and their Royal
Sisters. The expiring scene—the heart-rending feel-
ings of the Regent, and all present, it nil 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 so-
vend hours, and then left for town.
The first. communication which arrived in town of