On the 9th of November, George III., who had been married only two months, went in state with his youthful Queen, to dine with the Lord Mayor. It was their Majesties’ first visit to the city. Mr. Pitt, yielding to Lord Temple’s persuasions, and, as he afterwards declared, ‘against his better judgment,’ went with him in his carriage, and joined the procession. Pitt, the ‘great commoner,’ the terrible ‘Cornet of Horse,’ hated and dreaded by Sir Robert Walpole, had only just resigned office, because he could not get his colleagues to agree with him in an aggressive policy against Spain, to be at war with which power was then a passion with the people. For this reason Pitt was their idol and the court party their abomination. Hence, the result of Pitt’s joining the procession might partly have been anticipated. The royal bride and bridegroom were received by the populace with indifference, and Pitt’s late colleague with cries of ‘No Newcastle salmon!’ As for Lord Bute, he was everywhere assailed with hisses and execrations, and would probably have been torn in pieces by the mob, but for the interference of a band of butchers and prize-fighters, whom he had armed as a body-guard. All the enthusiasm of the populace was centred in Mr. Pitt, who was ‘honoured[45] with the most hearty acclamations of people of all ranks; and so great was the feeling in his favour, that the mob clung about every part of the vehicle, hung upon the wheels, hugged his footman, and even kissed his horses.’ The royal bride must have been astonished, and the bridegroom was indignant at what, a few days after the banquet, he called ‘the abominable conduct of Mr. Pitt.’ The court members of parliament were directed to be personally offensive to him in the house, and all the fashionable ladies in town went to see the noble animal baited. The year of pageants ended with matters of money. Parliament settled on Queen Charlotte 40,000_l._ per annum, to enable her the better to support the royal dignity; with a dowry of 100,000_l._ per annum, and Richmond Old Park and Somerset House annexed, in case she should survive his Majesty. On the 2nd of December the King went in state to the House to give the royal assent to the bill. The Queen accompanied him; and when the royal assent had been given, her Majesty rose from her seat and curtsied to him the grateful acknowledgments which were really due to the representatives of the people who gave the money.