The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-11-26 00:00:00

The following interesting narrative appeared several years
ago in a work entitled Reminiscences of Men and Manners.
By Pryse Lockhart Gordon, Esq. Vol. I. 374, &c.
" His Royal Highness the late Duke of Kent took up his
abode in Brussels in the year 181 G. As there was some dif-
ficulty in procuring him an appropriate residence in a good
situation, his friend Vice-Admiral Donnelly ceded to his
Royal Highness his hotel, a superb mansion in the Place
Royal, the property of Count de Maldeghan, which the Ad-
miral had rented on a lease, a few years of which were un-
expired. The duke's taste for architecture, embellishing,
and adorning, was well known, and no one was surprised
when a host of carpenters were put into requisition ; and in
a few months the house was so altered and ornamented (and
of coarse improved), that the young count, when invited to
see what the royal duke had done, could hardly recognise
his late abode. The extensive gardens next attracted his
Royal Highness's attention, and were new modelled and re-
planted with the choicest flowers and rarest shrubs which the
kingdom could produce. * * * * * But hardly had
this little Elysium been completed when a melancholy event
occurred that compelled the duke to quit Brussels for some
months. The event to which I have alluded was the death
of the deeply-lamented Princess Charlotte. The news
reached Brussels on Sunday morning, at eleven o'clock, by a
courier. It flew from ear to ear like wild fire, and certainly
no event ever occurred, public or private, which excited such
general grief. I happened to be walking in the Parc with
a friend, a member of parliament, when we were told the sad
tale. In order to ascertain its truth, we walked to the Duke's
hotel, when it was but too well confirmed. My friend wrote
his name in the book, and we returned to the promenade.
which was shortly interrupted by a messenger from his royal
highness, requesting the immediate presence of the senator.
I continued my walk, and within an hour was again joined
by this gentleman. I have,' said he, had a most curious
conversation with the duke ; and so interesting, that I shall
go home immediately and put it in writing, while it is fresh
in my memory ; and if you will call on me in a couple of
hours, I will show you my minute.' He had just finished
this document when I entered, and he read it to me : it was
to the following effect The Duke seemed greatly affected
on my entrance ; he was talking with his secretary, who im-
mediately withdrew. " This unexpected and melancholy
event," said his royal highness, `• will affect every loyal Bri-
tish subject ; and, independent of the regret which all must
feel at the premature fate of the presumptive heiress to the
throne, and so amiable and so generally beloved a Princess
as my niece, her death is to be highly regretted as a political
event. To me it is, perhaps, more important than to any
other member of the royal family. The country will now
look up to me, Mr. C., to give them an heir to the crown.
England will expect me to marry immediately ; but I must
take a preliminary step, and it is on this account that I have
requested to see you I intend to espouse a Princess,
who I think would be highly acceptable to the nation for
many reasons. I have seen her, and have the highest opi-
nion of her dispositions and manners I shall go to
England to conclude the necessary arrangements for my
marriage, and proceed immediately to Amorbach, where the
Princess resides, and where I shall probably take up my re-
sidence." ' This is but an imperfect sketch of the minute
which my friend read. Had it not been for the deep regret
which we both felt for the poor Princess, we could not have
retained our gravity at what we considered such an utopian
scheme ; improbable, however, as it appeared, it was realised
in a few months."

Since the above statement was first published, the Duke's
almost prophetic anticipations have been completely verified.
The result of his marriage was the birth of the Princess Vic-
toria, who now holds the sceptre of these realms. The
Duke's sudden resolution seems the more extraordinary,
when it is considered that at the time of the Princess Char-
lotte's death, the Prince Regent (afterwards George IV.)
was still alive, together with the Dukes of York and Cla-
rence, both unmarried, and both standing, in the order of
succession, before the Duke of Kent.