Star.
London, England, 1818-12-05 00:00:00

HER LATE LAMENTED MAJESTY.

Her late MAJESTY'S character begins now to be fully
appreciated by the Public. Those whtise opportunities
of close observation have been the most frequent have
ever spoken of the QUEEN as the most affectionate
wife, the most careful mother, the most indulgent
mistress ; they have watched with unceasing admira-
tion her long course of systematic piety, of disciplined
industry, and of unostentatious enjoyment. We know
of no other female who could have rendered herself
more worthy of the Crown and the Monarch to whom
she had the happiness of being united. Their tastes,
their habits, their feelings, their pursuits, were in
unison; and in the calm and dignified simplicity
which distinguished the habits of the most exalted,
as well as the wealthiest Sovereign of Europe, the
people recognised a congeniality of principle and
taste between their Monarch and his Consort, which
assured them that their private happiness wanted no
excitement of artificial luxury, and that their public
example•would never offer any insult to the correct-
ness of English feelings. The vices of other Courts
were not only banished from the Palace of GEORGE
111. but it was distinctly felt that an open violation
of domestic duty was the great barrier to the Royal
favour, cr even countenance. How determinedly
and consistently a reverence for female virtue, and
a contempt for female indiscretion, regulated the
conduct of the QUEEN, is well known far beyond
the mere observers of a Court. When, even amongst
a dissipated nation, the alleged—the falsely alleged
indiscretions of a Queen, were made an excuse for the
most brutal outrages of a revolutionary mob, who
can tell how much the same spirit was put down in
this country by the marked and undeviating virtues of
the wife of our Sovereign ?
The strong sense, and strict feeling of duty, which
were the leading characteristics of the QuEEN's mind,
taught her that the Constitution of this country, and
genius of the people, were opposed to any direct par-
ticipation in the affairs of Government by the Queen
Consort. It cannot be doubted but that her MAJESTY
felt the most decided interest in all great questions of
national policy. But we consider it the greatest proof
of the soundness of her judgment, that, unlike some
of the prominent but mistaken Princesses of former
times, she confined the results of her convictions to
that influence which a sensible woman must exercise
over the mind of her husband.

The greater portion of her NlAJErry's wedded life
was passed in sharing the duties, in partaking the
simple and elegant amusements, or in watching over
the impaired health of her Royal Consort at Windsor.
The people of that town and neighbourhood had
long-continued and frequent opportunities of forming
a just estimate of her MAJESTY'S character. They
have uniformly. seen her surrounded by an affec-
tionate family ; in her early life superintending their
education with uniform industry ; and in her latter
years partaking their pleasures with a ready cheer-
fulness. They have observed her uniting with the
SOVEREIGN in those habitual acts of piety which
constitute one of the first graces of his character;
and they know that by a steady and unostentatious
benevolence, her MAJESTY was uniformly evincing
that she possessed the region of the heart. One of
the charges which detraction urged most frequently
against her, was, that she carried economy even to
parsimony. How justly this charge was urged,- ap-
pears by the fact that she left no more than £3OOO.
The day previous to that on which the remains of
her late MAJESTY lay in state, at Kew Palace, was
marked by a melancholy act of real unostentatious
charity. It appears, that is soon as her Majesty had
taken up her residence at Kew (unfortunately never
again to quit it with life), she directed some of her
female attendants to ascertain, as privately as posiblc,
which were the most industrious and deserving fami-
lies among the poor of that parish, their characters,
earnings, and the number of their children. This
having been done, a large quantity of female, and
children's clothing, was prepared, under the personal
direction of herself and her illustrious daughters, and
made up into separate parcels, with the name of each
of the families they were intended for written on the
Outside. These were intended br her MAJESTY to
have been distributed, with other gifts, on the occa-
sion which she fondly hoped would soon arrive—the
day ofher removal to Windsor Castle. This hope, so
long and ardently cherished by the Royal sufferer, it
was fated should never be mallard ; and the Prin-
cesses, in order to fulfil as far as possible, the inten-
tions of their lamented parent, ordered the distribu-
tion to take place Leforc the removal of her remains,
and, accordingl:-, they were sent to. the families they
were intended for, on Monday last.