St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-12
A STRANGE BRITISH YARN.
Claims of Edward Ord to the
Throne Of the British
Empire.
ATTITUDE OF WILLIAM Nv.
Documents Which May Make
Disclosures as to the
British Throne.


has for years been suppressed, of the
birth of son to George ". and Mrs.
FitzherDert, which would affect the
succession to the British crown, says
the Washington Post. He says the time
has come to inform the public of the
papers in relation to the marriage and
the supposed. offspring of the alliance,
which have been lying in COutts' bank
since 1888. The question OF that
marriage was the source of some trouble
during the reign of George Nv. William
". obtained from Mrs. FitZherbert,
through the Duke of Wellington, the
Earl of Albemarle and Lord Stourt0n,
the marriage certificate and other pa
pers relating to this marriage, which
were sealed, and. on the Oath Of August.
1888. were deposited in Coutts' bank, at
the disposal of the Earl of Albernarle
and Lord Stourton. According to men,
orandum they are:
l. The mortgage on the palace at
Brighton.
2. The certificate of the marriage,
dated Dec. 81. l7S5.
3. Letter from the late King George
w., relating to the marriage and
signed by him.
4. Will written by the late King
George w.
5. Memorandum written by Mrs.
Fitzherbert and attached to letter
written by the clergyman who per-
formed the marriage ceremony.
This memorandum is now in the
possession of Hon. Charles Langdale,
and is all that is known of the papers;
it was given to Mrs. Fitzherbert by
those who deposited them in the bank
| in 1882. Lord Stourton acted as the
Friend of Mrs. FItzherbert
| There have been sc yeral efforts made
| to Withdraw the documents from the
bank and make them public. Hon.
| Charles Langdale. brother Of the Lord
Stourton, having the authority from his
brother (now dead), applied to Rev. E.
| V. Keppel, executor Of the Earl of AL
bemarle, for permission to Withdraw the
| documents from the bank and make
them public. This Mr.. Keppel declined
to give, on the ground that the publica-
ton would only pander to the bad
feelings of the great world without do
ing good' (Stourton).
Lord Stourton says he had, previously
to this arrangement, taken the liberty
to counsel Mrs. Fitzherbert to leave
some evidence, in her own handwriting,
as to the circumstance. of no issue aris-
ing from this connection, and had ad-
vised her to note with her own sigma
ture this fact at the back of the mar
riaCe certificate. To this she smilingly
objected on the score of delicacY.
The refusal of Mrs. Fitzherbert to
bear testimony to so important a fact
ION the score of delicacy" seems signif-
icant, and this fact confirms the belief
entertained by those whose relation
with the supposed heir gives value to
their opinion, that the memorandum
made by Mrs. Fitzherbert on the mar
rage certificate before she gave it up to
be deposited in the bank, was the re-
verse of what Lord Stourton states.
Only the breaking of the seal can con-
firm or deny the various views enter
tanned of this matter. which grows into
Importance every day.
:. Remarkable Royal Marriage.
The marriage of the Prince of Wales
to Mrs. Fitzherbert is one of the most
remarkable events in the lives of the
-Four Georges" His biographers say
the prince was one of the most &C.
complished men of his time, but Thack.
eray's opinion Of him is somewhat diff
ferent.
Mrs. FitZherbert was one of the most
beautiful women of that period. The
prince was madly in love with her, as
All incident related of him proves. Mrs.
Fitzherbert was one day summoned to
the residence Of the prince by Lor d
OnSlow, with the assurance that the
heir apparent had deliberately stabbed
himself and was In imminent danger,
and that her Immediate presence would
save his life.
After some hesitation she consented
to go on condition that lady of high
character should accompany her. The
Duchess of DeVonshire went with her
to the prince, whom they found pale
and covered with blood. The prince
insisted on her marrying him, and said
he would not be content to live unless
she would consent to be his wife, aud
put a ring upon her finger.
which he borrowed from the duchess.
After this the ladies returned to
statement of what had occurred was
drawnup. The next day, or very soon
after. Mrs. FitZherbert left England
and wrote Lord Southampton she was
not free agent in what had occurred.
She remained abroad for more than a
year, the prince, in the meanwhile, was
sending couriers bearing letters urging
her to become his wife.
Lord Stourton, who was the friend of
A
descriptive of the affair that he had seen
letter of thirty-seven pages written to
her by the prince. saying that his father
would conniye at their union, Under
the pressure brought to bear on her she
consented, under certain conditions. to
return to England and become his wife.
These conditions, Lord Stourton saws.
satisfied his own conscience, though She
could have no legal claim to be his wife,
Welded Against the Law.
The law of England forbids the mar
rage of prince of royal blood with a
subject. AS she was Catholic. this
also would initiate against recognition
of the marriage. When it was known
the prince intended to marry, Fox wrote
him. protesting against it, and the
prince in his reply satisfied Fox, who.
on the strength of the letter, denied on
the floor of the house of commons the
truth of the stories.
In pamphlet published at the time
Horne Tooke spoke of Mrs. Fitzherbert
as both legally, really, worthily, and
happily for this country her royal high
ness, the Princess of Wales" Tooke
says the marriage was performed bt 4
Catholic priest, and Banvord says the
ceremony was performed by the Able
Sechamp, and that Mr.. Fox not only
knew OF it. but was present. There is
no doubt about the ceremony having
taken place With all the rites of the
Catholic church.
The attitude of William ". to
Mrs. Fltzherbert after the death of
George ~. was of the kindest character,
| treating her almost a ona of tha fon,;l,,