This act of the Prince and Princess of Wales was construed into such a flagrant violation of the Royal Will, that the enraged little King at once took steps to assert his authority. Fortunately in these days Princesses of Wales are not peremptorily ordered to arrange their _accouchements_ in places agreeable to the Royal Will. They arrange them just wherever they like. A brisk interchange of letters took place between the King and his eldest son, which ended in a somewhat abrupt command from the King to the Prince to remove himself and his family out of St. James’s Palace, which possibly was an order which the Prince and his wife were not at all sorry to obey; it gave them the opportunity of setting up their own home. (From the King at Hampton Court Palace to the Prince of Wales at St. James’s, by Lord Dunmore, August 20th, 1737). “It being now near three weeks since the Princess was brought to bed, his Majesty hopes that there can be no inconvenience to the Princess if Monday, the twenty-ninth, be appointed for baptising the Princess, his grand-daughter; and having determined that His Majesty the King, the Queen and the Duchess-Dowager of Saxe-Gotha shall be godfather and godmothers, will send his Lord Chamberlain to represent himself and the Queen’s Lady of the Bedchamber to represent the Queen, and desires that the Princess will order one of the Ladies of her Bedchamber to stand for the Duchess-Dowager of Saxe-Gotha, and the King will send to the Archbishop of Canterbury to attend and perform the ceremony.” (p. 225, Hervey.) To which the Prince dutifully replied: “The Prince to the King, “August 20th, 1737. “Sire, “La Princesse et moi prenons la liberté de remercier très humblement votre Majesté de l’honneur qu’elle veut bien faire à notre fille d’en etre parrain. Les ordres que my Lord Dunmore m’a apporté sur ce sujet seront exécutés point à point. Je me conterois bien heureux si à cette occasion j’osois venir moi même me mettre à vos pieds; rien ne m’em pourroit empêcher que la seule defense de votre Majesté. D’être privé de vos bonnes graces est la chose du monde la plus affligeante pour moi, qui non seulement vous respect, mais, si j’ose me servir de ce terme, vous aime très-tendrement. Me permettez vous encore une fois de vous supplier très-humblement de me pardonner une faute dans laquelle du moins l’intention n’avoit pas de part, et de me permettre de vous refaire ma cour à votre levée. J’ose vous en conjurer instamment, comme d’une chose qui me rendra le répos. “Je suis, avec toute la soumission possible. “Sire, de votre Majesté “Le très-humble et très-obeissant fils, “Sujet et serviteur, “FREDERICK.” Which does not read much like the letter of a disobedient and contumacious son, but rather that of one who owns a fault which he never intended to commit and asks for pardon.