The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-10-01 00:00:00

THE DUKE OF SUSSEX'S MARRIAGE.

The following extraordinary letter, from the brother of
the late Lady Murray, appears in " The Naval and Mili-
tary Gazette:"—

Frimley, Bayshot, Sept. 10, 1839.
Sir,—From your journal of the 7th instant, which I have
just read, I copy the following extract—" Sir Augustus
D'Este, the son of the Duke of Sussex, by Lady Augusta
Murray," &c. &c. Now, as the above would seem to imply
that that lady was not the wife of the duke, I trust that
you will give insertion to this, in which I beg to acquaint
you, that it is a matter of history that the lady in question
was twice married to his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex
—first at Rome, in the year 1793, and, secondly, in the
parish church of St. George, in Hanover-square, agreeable
to the forms of the established church, by the publishment
of banns. It is true that, by the authorities that then were
in this Christian land, a Christian Judge was found to set
aside the validity of such second marriage, though no part
of the divine law which would have justified such judgment
was assigned as a cause for such divorcement by either of the
parties ; on the contrary, they both protested against it. But
be this as it may, it often happens to us short-minded mor-
tals, that when attempting to commit an act of injustice, the
result turns out to be the contrary, as it did in the present
case :—For, as the late Lord Chancellor Thurlow observed—
" the fools (referring to the members composing the Privy
Council, invited to investigate the subject of such last mar-
riage) have contrived to establish and prove the solemnization
of the former one at Rome, of which they cannot take any
cognizance." And the result was, that the parties conti-
nued to reside altogether, his Royal Highness always treat-
ing and calling her by the endearing appellation of ma femme,
and presenting her as such to strangers, while giving to her
the appellation of Princess in speaking of her, as well as
that of Prince to their son, to whom your extract refers—or
assure yourself, Sir, the person who now addresses you would
never have been a second time a visiter at his Royal High-
ness's, where he was not unfrequently a guest when he was
in town, though well assured at the time that no means, how-
ever justifiable, but were resorted to by a great majority of the
members of the Royal Family, to induce his Royal High-
ness to forsake his wife and children (save and except his
late Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, w'io ever treated
her with the greatest kindness and consideration) : but sub-
sequently his Royal Highness and his wife, being fully con-
vinced that there was no chance of his getting his establish-
ment so long as he resided with tier, such being the determi-
nation of the king, as signified to him from his Majesty, his
Royal Highness made up his mind to proceed to Lisbon,
where, not long after his arrival, he was created Duke of
Sussex, with an allowance of £12,000 per annum ; and who
subsequently executed a deed, in which was fully stated the
two marriages before-mentioned, and then goes on to settle
£4OOO per annum, out of the £12,000 so granted to himself,
ai a proper separate provision for his wife, the Duchess of
Sussex and their children. But from causes which it is not
necessary to advert to, no part of the £4OOO. being forthcom-
ing for several years, a petition was presented to the Lord
Chancellor praying that an injunction might be issued, that
the £12,000 payable to the Duke of Sussex should be stopped
in the Exchequer ; which prayer (notwithstanding the most
powerful opposition to it) was acceded to, and there the
money was supposed to be locked up, whilst the Duchess was
left to struggle and contend, as she best might, with the most
distressing pecuniary difficulties, and all the wanton perse-
cutions which power could inflict upon her—by getting her
arrested and exposed to every species of contumely, doubt-
less with the hope that she would have sunk under the evil
with which she was assailed.

About this period it was that the Duke of Kent, having
been acquainted with the difficulties under which she was
labouring, had it intimated to her, through one of her friends,
and there was no probability, from the determination of the
King, that she would ever get any money which was locked
up in the Exchequer until she ceased to designate herself as
Duchess of Sussex, ceased to use the royal liveries, and ac-
cepted another title—a measure which his Royal Highness
strongly urged her adoption of, as circumstances might ar-
rive at some future day which would justify her resumption
of what might, in some measure, be considered as forced upon
her; and notwithstanding my exertions to the contrary, she
acceded to the recommendation of the Duke, and subse-
quently assumed the title of the Baroness D'Amelande—one
derived from the House of Orange—her husband, the Duke
of Sussex's progenitor, having intermarried with the eldest
daughter of the illustrious Prince William of Nassau, while
he, the Duchess's progenitor, had intermarried with a younger
daughter. A. Al URRAY.

The Great Western Cotton Company have subscribed
£lOOO towards the erection of a church in the vicinity of their
works.—Bristol Journal.

It is rumoured that Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, the pre-
sent commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, will succeed
the late Sir Thomas Hardy, as Governor of Greenwich Hos-
pital ; that the Hon. Admiral Fleming. the commander-in-
chief at Portsmouth, will succeed to the command of the
Mediterranean. No officer is yet named as likely to be ap-
pointed to the command at Portsmouth, in the event of this
change, which is confidently spoken of.
It is in contemplation to form a railway between Monk-
Wearmouth and the village of Whitburn, erect at the latter
place warm and cold baths, and make this delightful little
village one of the most attractive watering places on the coast.
Newcastle Journal.