Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1877-06-26
The Story of Mrs. Fitzherbert's
Marriage.

! on the Rio Grand, is a grandson of
| George W., and the ACTRESS" Mrs.
Fitzherbert, to whom he was married
| by a Catholic" priest, while he was
| Prince Regent that q son was born
! of this marriage, and vas consigned to
| the care of tutor named Ord, who
brought him to this country that his
son, who took the name of his tutor,
married Virginia or Maryland lady,
| by whom he had TWO sons, one of
whom is Gen. Ord, the other being a
judge in California.
There is only one fact in this story
that is true, which is that George W.,
while Prince of Wales, married Mrs.
Fitzherbert. She was never an ac-
tress, nor i'll any way connected with
the stage. She was Of a Roman
Catholic family named Smythe ; of
irreprOachable character, considerable
beauty and very amiable disposition.
At the time of her first acquaintance
with the Prince of Wales she was a
young widow, sincerely attached to
her religion and not likely to change
it for worldly advancement. In 1884
the Prince, then under twenty-five,
fell desperately in love with her. He
was not at that time Prin Regent
BY the law of England, he could not
contract any marriage without the
consent of Parliament, and he could
not marry a Roman Catholic without
fOrfeting his right to the crown. 70
avoid the Princes mpOrtunlties, Mrs,
Eit2heTbert retired to the Continent
and remained abroad year. He
wrote to her constantly, aud in De
CembGr, 1855, she returned to London
and consented to mar y him. The
Prince, to the great dissatisfaction OF
his father, King George III, had at
tached himself personally and pOliti-
cally to Charlie. James Fox, the great
Wing leader. Hearing that Mrs. FitZ-
herbert had retDrnod, and that the
marriage was likely TO take place, Fox
wrote 10 the Prince a manly and sem
sible letter, demonstrating against the
marriage, pointing out its ilegality,
warning him that if there were chill
d'en from the marriage they would
be illegitimatC, and that the country
would be exposed TO the danger Of a
disputed succession to the throne. 1t
is quite certain that the Prince could
not have shown this letter to Mrs.
FitZhCrbert but lie made the follow
ing answer TO Nj Fox
CARLTox Horsg. Dec II. I7S5.-2 o'clock sun
day moruing-.ly Dear Charles: Your letter Of
last night afforded me more true salts faction than
| can hud words 10 express, Ms it is an additional
proof To- me, which assure you did rot want, Of
your having that trne regard and affection for me
which it is not only the WISH but the ambition Of
my ife to merit. Make yourself easy, my dear
Hi0ud : believe me, the world will now soon be
convinced that thore not only Is not, but never was
any ground for those rerorts which Of late have
been so malevoeutly circulated
While he was thus misleading Mr.
Fox, the Prince was devising means
of accomplishing the marriage. Mrs
FitZherOert was "A VirtuOus woman,
and any other relation than marriage
was out of the question. One day,
while Mr.. Johnes, a clergyman, init
mate with Fox and his friends, was
dining with Lord North, he received
an invitation to sup that evening with
the Prince of Wales. Lord North
took him aside and told him that the
Prince would probably ask him to per-
form a marriage ceremony. This
turned out to be true, but Mr.. JOhues
refused to comply with the Princes
request. Nevertheless, the marriage
took place, very secretly, on the Dist
of December, 1885. The ceremony
was not performed by a Roman Catho-
lie priest, but by Protestant clergy
man. Six gentlemen were present,
and two of them signed the marriage
certificate az witnesses. One of them
was the uncle and the other the broth
er of Mrs. FitZherhert. ANY sCruples
which she or her friends might have
felt were overcome in this way. BY
the DEGREES of the Council Of Trent,
which are the law of the Roman
Catholic Church, marriage is valid in
countries where the authority of the
Council of Trent is not acknowledged,
even it is not performed by n Roman
Catholic priest. This marriage, utter
~ void by the English law, was sane
toned by the law Of Mrs FItzheTUcrt's
church and she believed that she
could, without scruple, live with rle
Prince of Wales Us her husband : and
she did SO, privately. Bat it is GER
tain that there never WAS any issue Of
the marriage.
In the spring of 1857 10 was an
nonnced in the House Of Commons
that an application would be made 10
Parliament to pay the Prince Of
Wn!e's debts. A member (Mr. Rolle)
rose AM, said that il such motion
WAS made lao WNald move the previ.
ous questi0n, as the proposal 'invoiv-
ed matter by which the Constitution,
both in Church aud state, might be
iniuriously affected" Every body un-
dcrstood this to allude to the Tumors
of the Princes private marriage. On
succeeding day, Fox denied the mar
riage in the House, lin point Of fact
a. well as law.n "The fact" he said,
mot only never could have happened
legally. but never did happen in any
way whatsoever, ana had been from
the beginning base and malicious
falsehood.n On being questiune' :, he
declared that che had direct authority
for what he said" The next day a
gentleman of FoX's acquaintance said
To him at BrOOke's clubhouse, 81 see
by the papers, Mr.. Fox, you have de-
MED the fact of the marriage of the
Prince with Mrs. Fitzherbert. You
have been misinformed. / was pres
ent at the marriage" In the interval
between Mr., ROLES threat aud Mr..
FoX's declaration, the Prince had told
Fox a deliberate lie. Fox, finding
that he had been duped, renowned
the Princes acquaintance aud did not
speak to him for more than year
and although he aftcrward associated