The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-11-13
A Royal Bigamist--SOme Sketches
of George Nv.

|. George, Prince of Wales, afterward
King George ", in 1885, at twenty three,
saw, and seeing loved, Mrs. Maria Fitz-
herbert, charming widow, six years his
senior. In December of the same year
he secretly married her. The union was
invalid, in consequence of the marriage
act of 1772, which prohibited the forma-
ton of any matrimonial alliance by a
member of the royal family without the
reigning monarch's consent. Yet no hu-
man statute could morally nullify a mar
riage to which there were no other obsta-
lcles. Mrs. Fitzherbert was lady of ex
lcellent family, high moral principle and
Egreat refinement. She repelled the
Princes attentions until the proposed
sentiments Of his heart were accompanied
by an offer of his hand. In entering up
on this connection George ran risk far
Igreater then the danger of angering his
father. He had-as all the elder sons Of
the House of Brunswick had done be-
fore him-quarreled with the Sovereign,
land was keeping up separate establish
ment. He could hardly do anything to
widen the breach in this quarter. But
there was an ugly statute, which declared
that the marriage of the heir to the throne
with Roman Catholic would operate as
a forfeiture of his right TO the succession
Mrs. Herbert was Catholic; hence the
necessity of keeping the real coalition
of affairs from the public 1t is true that
the lawyers might declare that the we'd
ding knot was improperly tied, but pop
ular opinion might differ from that of the
Igentlemen of the long robe, on this, as
on many other matters.
Time passed on, the Prince of Wales
was pursuing a career of boundless ex-
travagance, and debts began to rise
mountain high around him. There is a
limit even 70 princely credit, and bills
were pouring in with far more rapidity
than was agreeable. The, King was ap-
pealed to for relief. This he could afford
only by asking Parliament for an appro-
priation, and he refused to do so unless
the Prince would promise to marry and
lead reputable domestic life. The al
Tentative was hard one, but selfshness
conquered principle, and the condition
was complied with.
Parliament had something to say on
the subject of the Princes relations, as
well as his father. His debts were enor.
nous and prudent legislators grumbled
1t was a good thing for the heir apparent
to marry if he had not already one wife
and there were ugly rumorst that such was
his situation. 1t was not wholly certain
however, that such was the case, and sc
some bold representative of the people
raised the direct question in the House O.
Commons. The scene was an exciting
one, and all awaited its answer with in
tense interest. We have said that the
truth was not entirely certain, but it wa:
pretty generally suspected. The Hon
orable. Charles James Fox, the Princes
chosen friend, was nevertheless ready fo
the emergency. He arose in his seat an(
fatty contradicted that his Royal High
ness had a wife. This was sufficient fol
the loysl Commons; the appropriation was
made and the debts paid.
The Prince was again solvent, but hi
| troubles were just beginning. The brid
selected for him was his cousin. Carolin
of Brunswick, a giddy, awkward and in
discreet, though well-intentioned, German
girl. Her carelessness in dress, free an,
boisterous manners, and in short he
whole character totally untitled her fol
harmonizing with the jadcd and fastidi
: Gus ibertine who was to become her hus
,, band.
Baron, afterward Earl Malmesbury,
paragon of stiffness and etiquette, wa
sent over to Brunswick to escort the be
trothed Princess to England, the marri
e age ceremony not taking place until afte
! her arrival The envoy, judging frol
q the accounts in his journals, appears t
have done his best to give Caroline goo
o counsel, but his advice was as primly O
4 fered as it could have been by any maide
e lady of fifty. He even suggested to ht
y that she should wear cleaner skirtsl II
!. lectures were OF very little benefit
j their mercurial subject. On reachin
. Windsor the ''happy bridegroom W;
found laboring under the effects Of te
copious llbations, and, after kissing h
= intended, according to court fashion, wit
.e an expression of disgust, at once ,calle
for glass of brandy. There are n
% wanting stories that later in the eyenin
when the nuptial ceremonies had take
N place, he was brutelly intoxicated. Ho,
ever this may have been, the i'll om'
that accompanied the first meeting of Il
i parties speedily developed into misery
70 1t is said that one Of the titled demireI
by whom the Prince was surrounded, ,su
h cessfally plotted to increase his dislil
IA for his wife. Itsis certain that the bir
+ of the Princess Charlotte, their on
n child, in little less than year after t
ID wedding, was soon followed by a separ
nt ton. George now returned to Mrs. Fit
he herbert, who was advised by the Pope
live with him again. This counsel "
just, if we regard their union as legi
ho mate, and there was nothing but tyra
ed Enical ediet to declare it otherwise. 7
he increasing excesses Of the Prince, ho
lst ever. brought their intercourse to an e
lis before long. A number of fayorites I
lst vided the attention of the royal volupt
tn Iary.
lis OF his later years, we need not S
id much. They were far from happy.
he Plunging into all kinds of irreg1lariti
ia. his health became impaired, and his te
in per soured. On assuming the duties
we Regent, which devolved on hlm IN con