JET. 36.] AND THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE. 221 



The next day a very temperate though firm answer 

 was returned : 



" The Princess of Wales has the honour to acknow- 

 ledge the receipt of a note from the Queen, dated 

 yesterday; and begs permission to return her best 

 thanks to her Majesty for her gracious condescension 

 in the willingness expressed by her Majesty to have 

 communicated to the illustrious strangers who will, in 

 all probability, be present at her Majesty's Court, the 

 reasons which have induced her Eoyal Highness not 

 to be present. 



" Such communication, as it appears to her Eoyal 

 Highness, cannot be the less necessary on account of 

 any publicity which it may be in the power of her 

 Eoyal Highness to give to her motives ; and the Prin- 

 cess of Wales therefore entreats the active good offices 

 of her Majesty upon an occasion wherein the Princess 

 of Wales feels it so essential to her that she should 

 not be misunderstood. CAROLINE, P. 



"CoNNAUGHT HOUSE, May 26, 1814." 



TO EARL GEEY. 



" TEMPLE, May 1814. 



" DEAR LORD GREY, The Queen has sent a formal 

 letter to the Princess of Wales, stating that she has 

 received a communication 'from her son the Prince 

 Regent,' that for reasons of state he must attend her 

 drawing-rooms, but that * he is fixed in his resolution 

 never to be in the same place, public or private, with 

 the Princess of Wales, for reasons of which he alone 

 can judge/ Therefore the Queen desires she may not 

 come to Court ! ! ! 



