2l6 THE PRINCESS OF WALES [1814. 



of holding two drawing-rooms in the ensuing month 

 having been notified to the public, he must declare 

 that he considers that his own presence at her Court 

 cannot be dispensed with, and that he desires it may 

 be distinctly understood, for reasons for which he 

 alone can be the judge, to be his fixed and unalterable 

 determination not to meet the Princess of Wales upon 

 any occasion either in public or private. 



"The Queen is thus placed under the painful necessity 

 of intimating to the Princess of Wales the impossibility 

 of her Majesty's receiving her Eoyal Highness at her 

 drawing-rooms. CHAELOTTE, K." 



To this the Princess returned an answer, which had 

 been carefully considered and prepared, and in com- 

 munication with the Princess Charlotte. The follow- 

 ing letters passed between Whitbread and me on the 

 subject : 



TO SAMUEL WHITBEEAD, ESQ. 



" WESTMINSTER, One o'clock. 



" I fear I shall be detained here for half an hour 

 longer ; and therefore, in case you go before I can 

 overtake you, I wish to mention what occurs to me, 

 subject to your opinion. I think II.B.II. should to- 

 day send a letter to the Queen, protesting against the 

 order, both on the grounds of the dark insinuations in 

 the Prince Regent's communication, and because her 

 restoration to Court seven years ago was the symbol 

 of her complete acquittal ; and she cannot waive the 

 right of going there now, without admitting infer- 

 ences injurious to her honour, especially as certain 

 proceedings have been held respecting her since she 



