The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-06-13

OF England. he could not contract any marriage
without the consent Of Parliament. and he could
not marry Roman Catholic without FORGETTING
his right 60 tho crown. To avoid the Princes
opportunities. Mrs. Fitzhcrbcrt retired 10 the
Continent and remained abroad year He
wrote to her constantly and in December. 1875.
she returned 10 London and consented TO marry
him. The Prince. to the great dissatisfaction
Of his father. King George III. had attached
himself personally and politically 10 Charles
James Fox. the great Wing leader Hearing
that Mrs. Fitzherbcrt had returned. and that
the marriage was likely to tako place. Fox
wrote to the Prince n manly and sensible letter.
demonstrating against the marriage. pointing
out is illegality. warning him that If there were
children from the marriage they would be lie
eitmate. and that the country would be- OK
posed to the danger Of disputed succession 10
the throne 1t is quite certain that the Prince
could not have shown this letter to Mrs. Tit2-
herbert but no made tho following answer to
Mr.. Fox:
c,rtrov ror'r. ncc u 1851
A.. NJ. o.. =. .gcl.ok SUNDAY morning
more true .at.i,e ilan can ind words Spre.n.
" is Hn additional proof to lnc which, assure ui dl
IN, i T,'g t- envy M ", a. . ,, ' 4'9n m
hc,c me- he r,sii vii, now soon h., "a tlatte,c
a6i "'''" u late nave '''' % maj y '''1' '''.D'
While he was thus misleading Mr.. Fox. the
Prince WIS devising means Of accomplishing
the marriage. Mrs. fiDhcrhort wls a vItuous
woman. and any other relation than marriage
WAS out Of the question. One day. while Mr..
john :. clergyman. INT mate with L * and his
friends. was dining with Lord North. he r.
ceiyed an invitation TO sup that even
ing with tho Prince q Wa.us. Lord
North took him aside md told him
~, Pat, f.. f.t
to perform the marriage ceremony. This
turned out to be true but Mr.. Johnos r'fusod TO
comply with the Princes request Nevertheless
the marriage took place. very secretly. on the
2lst of December. 1855. The ceremony was
not performed by Roman Catholic priest. but
10y Protestant clergyman Six gentlemen wore
present. and two OF them signed the marriage
certificate Is witnesses. Ono Of them WAS tile
uncle and tho other the brother Of Ms.
FiHherhcrt ANY scrupcs which she or
her friends might have felt were over
come in this way. By tho DEGREES Of
the Council OF front. which are the law
Of the Roman Catholic Church. marriage
is valid in countries where the authority
II the Council OF Trent il not ACKNOWLEDGED.
even II it * NOT performed hy R1mnn Catholic
! priest. This marriage. MT rly void ly the Eng-
ll-l law. was sanctioned ly the law Of Mrs u
hrrbort's church. and she believed that size
could without scruple. live with the Prince Of
Wales ms her husband; and she did So private
". But 1t is certain that there never was any
issue of the marriage.
In the spring of17s7 It was announced in the
| House Of Commons that an aspiration would
Zoe made to Par.iamf Ut % pay the Prince of
! Waless debts. \ member Mr.. Rollol rose and
said that II sui a motion was made he would
move the previous question rs the proposal
! ipxD1ygI Ix vi -
both in Church and State might be injuriously
affected" Everybody understood this 10 allude
10 the rumors Of the Princes private marriage.
On succeeding day, Fox denied the marriage
in the House. in point Of fact rs well as law"
The fact he said. " not only never could have
happened legally, but n"Yer did happen in any
way whatsoever. and had been from the begin
nina. hasc and malicious iasehood" On be-
ing questioned he declared that he had direct
authority for what he said" The next day
gentleman If IoN's acquaintance said 10 him NJ
Brookes club house. " | SEQ by the papers.
Mr. Fox. You have denied the fact Of
the marriage Of the Prince with Mrs. Fiiz-
herbert You have been misinformed |
was present at that marriage" In the in
teryal between Mr. Rolles throat AMI Mr..
FoN's declaration. the Prince had told Fox a
deliberate lie Fox finding that he had been
duped. ronoune'd the Princes acquaintance
and did not speak 10 him for more than year;
and although he aitrrward associated with him
personally and acted with him and for him poe
llucally. he never again trusted tho word Of the
Prince Of Wales. Mrs flthorlert who We
made to believe that Fox had denied her mar
ra;e while knowing all about it. never after
ward spoke 10 him. F1Y could not rctra,t the
declaration he had malc in the House of Com.
mons without exposing ule Prince TO tha danger
Of losing the crown.
The marriage. Of course. never was Nckn0wl-
edged; but the strangost part Of this affair is
that no ono in England ever doubted that it had
taken place. Mrs. Fitherbcrt was regarded. ms
long rs she lived, by some members OF the royal
family as a lady WI had in fact been married
TO the Prince Of Wales. and she was treated
with certain respect on that account. The
subsequent marriage Of the Prince 10 the prin-
cess Caroline Of Brunswick. his separation
from her the renewal Of his relation with Mrs
Fitzhorbert. and his second dcsertion Of her.
make up the rest Of this singular history. II
the man had boon anybody but Prince he
would have been indicted for bigamy. and the
penitcntiary would have been the end OF him.
A. 10 the fact that this marriage WAS without
issue. there is the most conclusive authority.
Earl Russell in his " Life # Fox, c!usrs he
chapter on the subject us follows;
Fortunately for the nation the marringc ortc Prince
Of N Hud Mrs ltlliDrirlt wA.fnltur>O Wif issue
Lad son been born IRON tnsm1f ~ ru-fun f. NJ at
,a-i adou NJ snr'e,,on must have ho'n M result ir
it homHu 'tthU.r -ui'ttt-m ult crown Wrr bound tu
.NrN lh li' N"N.hN q" tHr wtfru'r. and ture uight
nave usiniuh The huNlns nature ut hu act uf lir nt
Mii, 81 iHsuc the Ie-iNmatf i.-ur uf rOi-u4i- k-
Nj lnN iHu dome nu more than hl- duft uuu. uIt
il c Itfs tn ihc Prince o Mlt.. but Dc t BE-, tt io
risk oi ln,uf c favor eff the Prince ana Of mourning Ike
lasting resentment ut las vacuum,
There ia sequel to this singular story which
Earl Russell doosnottoll. In 1912 an action fora
libel was tried in the Court Of Kings Bench. in
which il was clearly proved that the Prince of
Wales mat, for twenty years. paid an annuity TO
former editor Of the Moinulg I0St uhc plain-
TN IN the Rctionl for suppressing some letters.
which that editor had threatened Ia publish. re-
la'lng to the Princes marriage with Mrs Fit
herbert. The defendant in the action WIS suod
Tor II libel, consisting in n charge that the for
mer editor Of the Mo,Ning Post, aftorwarI
magistrate in the county Of Suffolk. had been
guilty Of obtaining and receiving hush money
from the Prince OF Wales The defendant plead
ed. and proved that the charge was true. and the
jury gave him verdict The payment of tho