The Impeachment of the House of Brunswick — John Shaqi
The Impeachment of the House of BrunswickBradlaugh, Charles
History
The Impeachment of the House of Brunswick
Bradlaugh, Charles
Great Britain -- History -- 1714-1837; Hanover, House of
In the winter of 1764, and spring of 1765, George III. was, in
diplomatic language, laboring under an indisposition; in truth, he was
mad. Her present Gracious Majesty often labors under an indisposition,
but no loyal subject would suggest any sort of doubt as to her mental
condition. A Bill was introduced in 1764 in the House of Lords, to
provide for a Regency in case of the recurrence of any similar attack.
In the discussion on this Bill, a doubt arose as to who were to be
regarded as the Royal Family; fortunately, the Law Lords limited it to
the descendants of George II. If a similar definition prevailed to-day,
we should, perhaps, not be obliged to pay the pensions to the Duke of
Cambridge and Princess Mary, which they at present receive as members of
the Royal Family.
On the 80th of October, 1765, William, Duke of Cumberland, the King's
uncle, died. Dr. Doran says of him: "As he grew in manhood, his heart
became hardened; he had no affection for his family, nor fondness for
the army, for which he affected attachment. When his brother (Prince
Frederick) died, pleasure, not pain, made his heart throb, as he
sarcastically exclaimed, 'It's a great blow to the country, but I hope
it will recover in time.' He was the author of what was called 'the
bloody mutiny act.' 'He was dissolute and a gambler.' After the
'disgraceful surrender of Hanover and the infamous convention of
Kloster-seven,' his father George II. said of him, 'Behold the son who
has ruined me, and disgraced himself.'" His own nephew, George III.,
believed the Duke to be capable of murder. The Dukes of Cumberland in
this Brunswick family have had a most unfortunate reputation.
In 1766, William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, brother of the King, married
Maria, Countess-Dowager of Waldegrave.
This marriage was at the time repudiated by the rest of the Royal
Family.
In October of the same year Caroline Matilda, the King's sister, married
Christian, King of Denmark, an unfeeling, dissolute brute. Our Princess,
who lived very unhappily, was afterwards accused of adultery, and
rescued from punishment by a British man-of-war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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