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

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Our /Otto, Comititution attb 31 abi.6•

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1818.

the melancholy tidings, was about half•past tw), at
Carlton House, by communication sealed with black,
to Viscount Sidmouth, as Secretary of State for the
Home Department; together kith a letter to Sir Hen-
ry Torrens, from the Duke of York, to postpone his
Royal Highness's levee. The intelligence was soon
circulated, and inquiries were marle very numerously
at Carlton House ; and at three o'clock the following
notification was issued:—

" Carlton House, Nov. 17.
" Her Majesty expired at one o'clock this day, without a pain."

Shortly after, the following letter, sent by Lord
Sidmouth to the Lord Mayor, was placarded at the
Mansion House :

" Whitehall, Nov. 17.
"My Lord,—lt is my Painful duty to inform you of the death of
tier Majesty the Queer.. This melancholy event took place at Kew
Palace, at one o'clock this day.
" I have the honour to be
" Your Lordship's moat obedient
" To the Rt. lion. the Lord Mayor." " SIDNIOUTH."

The bulletin of the morning continued to be shown
at the Queen's Palace till past four o'clock, no official
account of the decease of Her Majesty having been re-
ceived 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, fur the ex-
press and sole purpose of announcing Her Majesty's
decease, in the following words:—

" Whitehall, Nov. 17.
This day. at one o'clock. the Queen departed this life, to the
inexpressible grief of the Royal Family, aft a tedious illness, wbicit
tier Majesty bore with the most pious fortitude and resignation.—
The many great and exemplary virtues which so eminently distin-
guished Iler Majesty throughout her long life. were the object of
universal esteem and admiration amongst all classes of His Majesty's
subjects, and render the death of this illustrious and most excelkut
Princess an unspeakable loss to the whole nation."

Her late Majesty, whose maiden name was Charlotte
Sophia, of Mecklenburg) Strclitz, was born May 19,
1744. She was the youngest daughter of Charles
Lewis, brother to Frederick, the third Duke of Meek-
lenburgh. Her father, however, though in the imme-
diate line of inheritance, as his brother, the Reigning
Duke, bad no issue, and was unmarried, did not suc-
ceed to the principality, as be died bethre 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 marriage 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 mareeuvres of Mr. Fox, afterwards Lord Hol-
land, set on foot to foment that youthful passion. Lis-
tened the designs of the Princess Dowager of %Vales and
of the Earl of Bute 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 ;
but as that House was supposed to be afflicted with a
constitutional disease, that wish was over-ruled by the
Cabinet. Lord Bute then sent a confidential depen-
dent, a Scotch Officer, reported to be Colonel Greetne,
to visit the inferior German Courts, and to select from
amongst them a future Queen for England. The in-
structions were said to be, that she should be perfect
in her than, ofa pure blood, and healthy constitution,
posses-el of elegant accomplishments, particularly am-
sic, to which the King was very much attached, and
of a mild and obli4ing disposition. colonel Cintina
found the Princess Apparent of Strelitz taking the mi.'.
tern of Pyrtnont, accompanier) by ;ter two daughters.
with little or no appearance cf parade; and where
from the freedom of commie :ration meal at those
places, and the ready means of was
no difficult matter to heroine fully ::c(putilitel vit_l( their
characters mid daily habits. Their Serene Highnesses.
frtquented the rooms, the walks, and partook of the
ainusementa, without any distinction that should pre-
vent Colonel Gneire 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, &c.
the Princess Charlotte of Strelitz was chosen to be the
consort Of George 111.
Ilis Majesty had not long filled the throne before he
acquainted his Council, in a meeting convened for the
express purpose, " that having nailing so much at
heart as the welfare cud happiness of
this people, and

PRICE 9 !d.

that to render the same stable anti perch lent to
being the first object of his reign, he had, c:t.r
since his accession to the throne, turned his thoughts :o
the choice of a Princess, with whom be might•fimi tl.e
solace of matrimony, and the comforts of domestic
lie had to announce to them, therefore, with great
satisfaction, that after the most mature reflection and
fullest information, he had come to a resolution to de-
mand in marriage thc P.-incess Charlotte of Nlceklin-
burgh Strclitz, a-Princess distinguished by every amiable
virtue and elegant endowment, whose illustrious line
had constantly shown the firmest zeal in the Protestant
,t and a particalar attachment to his Majesty's
fatareligi°n)

Su-ch were the terms in which his Majesty announced
his Royal intention to his Council on the Bth of .lul,
1761. The negociation 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-
parations were immediately made for the reception of
the Royal Bride in England• She left Mecklenburgh
on the 22d of August, and arrived, after a tedious
voyage of ten dcys, at Harwich, on the 6th of the
following month. Her Majesty rested one night, that
of her arrival, upon her journey, at the house of the
Earl of Abercorn, at Witham in Essex, from whence
she ret out early next morning, and arrived at the
Palace of St. James, where she was received by his
Majesty and the rest of the Royal Family. At nine in
the same evening the marriage ceremony was solem-
nised by the Archbishop of Canterbury, in the Royal
Chapel, under circumstances of appropriate splendour

and respect. The meal 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 lingually acquainted
with the marriage of the King, they prowhled for 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-11mm.,
which when the latter edifice was palled :;own for the
purpose of erecting Government (aces, was exchani.7l,l
for Buckingham Howe. In the following year the .y
of the nation was increased by the birth: of an !.:eir.to
the throne.

Her Majesty's figure wise very pleasing, bat her
countennee, though not without attraction: when s'ee
smiled, Ainhi not boast any claim to boatity. It was,
I however, a well-known fact, that the Kieg dense ti
himself satisfied with his connuhial Jimmie. She aviie
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 VA
a fruitful mother; and was eonsidered with geeteal
regard as a domestic woman ; so much so, that Cele eel
Barre, then a violent opposition speaker, &N.:en-A a
very splendid eulogium on her' mild, tender,
assenting virtues.'
With a truly royal foresight, she adopted, an cetrieg
to the Throne, and with tittle:Cele tireaness she c.i.c
afterwards maintained, that system or discriminatien ia
regard to those who Averc honourel by her notice, f!.ts
imsis of which was a delicate regard for female hae,o,,e.
Hence it has happened that the manners of the Eng ''-t
Court have become so conspicuous throughout Lan.ee
for their purity; and hen;:e, too, although vices ( f a
certain class can never be eradicated from human com-
munities, yet they have in our country been deprived
of that great support which arises freers the pub:ie
countenance of rank and fashion. An Englishworrevr,
of high birth, not received at Court, is, in fact, aeciail.
ea from the society of her equals, and even Icokei
down upon, with contempt, by the lowest female of
unimpeached character. It is not to be calculated hove
great a good has been derived to English merals ne.e4
this single sourec, in the course of the last halreeei..:y
—a period unharrily marked by the re:Asa:tie:l ei. tj
many other moral te.s.
About the eventful period or the meditated Regenry,
in rSp. the Queen was accused of having eltaniecc: la
a great degree the whole eompleaion and purpose of her
lire ; and of having become 311 active and zealous movcr
of the springs of party. But it must be rememberej,
that Her Alikiest," was then taught to believe the war-
port of the Aliuister necessary to her own defence, and
even to that of the interests and independence o: ix.:
afflicted husband.