Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-11-16
FAMOUS Fl1ZHERBER1 CASE
Woman Proved to Have Been Married
to King George IV-Wns
There SOM

Tho opening in London Of the long
sealed packet of papers left by Mrs.
FitZherbert is not important as prov
ing that she as married to George ~
when Prince of Wales. but as setting
beyond doubt the fact that there was
no issue of the marriage, says the Bos-
ton Transcript. No one doubted that
she and the prince stood before a
clergy and were pronounced man and
wife. There were witnesses to the cere-
mony of the highest character. Tn
fortunately for Mrs. Fitzherbert the
marriage was nevertheless invalid at
1t was contracted in violation of the
royal marriage act, the consent of the
sovereign not having been obtained.
This invalidity was fortunate for the
prince. as legal marriage with
Catholic works forfeiture of the right
to succession in the heir apparent of
tho British throne under tne provisions
Of the famous act of settlements: and
Mrs. Fitzhcrbcrt was Of that faith.
| Whether George ", as he subsc-
quontlY became. was actuated by a
sincere attachment to enter into a
marriage that he must have known any
court in the land would declare in
valid and hoped that in some way it
might he validated. or whether he
simply deceived Mrs Fitzherbert are
question on which men have long diff
fcred. lie was but % at the time. an
other fact that brought him within
the provisions of the royal maria &c
act. His character was Il queer mix
ture. and the most charitable view
that can be taken of his allowing Fox
to deny the marriage of Parliament is
that he then contemplated living
bachelor in the eyes of the law while
a husband in the eyes of morality. Mrs.
FitZherbert on her side appears to
have a genuine affection for him, and
a circumstance that speaks fuvorably
for ier is that to tnc last of her life
she retained the respect of society.
Even the royal family regarded her
as one of their number, withholding
only full recognition of her status as
such in Difference to the law. She was
acter. and II George ~ had IA heart she
possessed 1t. Her house was his home
and there he passed some of the WORTH
lest hours of his life. Not very many
years ago there were still living in So
youth were proud to he the guests of
"'rhe Prince and Mrs. Fitzhcrbert"
They found it II pleasant household
where the prince appeared simply the
/ attentive husband of the earning
hostess. Mrs. Fitzherbert died. very
old. in 1891
The reference to the now refuted
! tory that there was a son born to Mrs
FitZherbert and the prince and that he
was sent to this country and lived and
died in Washington will set the
tongues Of the older gossips of the cap
/, ital wagging. There has long been a
legend that in Maryland or the dis
trict there are persons who could II
they would call the king their cousin.
For long time these rumors and sur
misses conferred about the late Gen. f.
, O. &. Ord, friend and associate of
| General Sherman, who died about 40
years ago. 1t was whispered that ne
was a grandson of George w. At last
he gave these reports a denial in lang
uage that could not have pleased
Queen Victoria, for he declared that
he was the descendant OF respectable
people and that his blood was not
| tainted with that OF royalty"