yET. 37.] AND THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE. 26r 



Such Is the penalty of the exalted rank, and the 

 sacrifice royalty must make in return for the very 

 inadequate compensation of power and dignity. 



The sovereign, as the executive branch of the 

 Government, is also intrusted by the constitution with 

 large discretionary powers in governing his family; 

 but he is bound to exercise such powers not according 

 to his own fancy, or for the gratification of his private 

 feelings or individual caprices, but in such a manner 

 as shall most conduce to the common weal. All the 

 power he has, and every act he performs, is as sovereign, 

 and not as a private person. 



Applying this, which is the true constitutional 

 doctrine, to the questions then agitating the public 

 mind, in reference to the treatment the presumptive 

 heiress of the crown had been receiving from her 

 father and sovereign, and more especially as to any 

 arrangement which should send her out of the country, 

 I held invariably the same language, and upon it 

 founded all my communications and advice to the 

 Princess and her mother. On this subject also I wrote 

 as follows to Lord Grey : 



TO EAEL GREY. 



" BROUGHAM, September 20, 1814. 



" DEAR LORD GREY, The pamphlet is called ' Some 

 Inquiry into the Constitutional Character of Queen- 

 Consort/ published by Eidgway. I have sent mine 

 to Edinburgh, otherwise I should have enclosed it in 

 covers. I have done a long article on the general 

 subject, and especially to annihilate the doctrine of 

 'private matter/ 'family concern/ &c.* I make my 



* Edinburgh Review, No. XL VI., Art. x. 



