"The King invited the Duchess of Kent to go to Windsor on the 12th of August, to celebrate the Queen's birthday (13th) and stay there over his own birthday, which was to be kept (_privately_) on the 21st (the real day, but falling on a Sunday), and _publicly_ on the day following. She sent word that she wanted to keep her own birthday at Claremont on the 15th (or whatever the day is), took no notice of the Queen's birthday, but said she would go to Windsor on the 20th. This put the King in a fury; he made, however, no reply, and on the 20th he was in town to prorogue Parliament, having desired that they would not wait dinner for him at Windsor. After the prorogation, he went to Kensington Palace to look about it; when he got there, he found that the Duchess of Kent had appropriated to her own use a suite of apartments, seventeen in number, for which she had applied last year, and which he had refused to let her have. This increased his ill-humour, already excessive. "When he arrived at Windsor, and went into the drawing-room (at about ten at night), where the whole party was assembled, he went up to the Princess Victoria, took hold of both her hands, and expressed his pleasure at seeing her there, and his regret at not seeing her oftener. He then turned to the Duchess, and made her a low bow, almost immediately after which he said that 'a most unwarrantable liberty had been taken with one of his palaces; that he had just come from Kensington, where he found apartments had been taken possession of, not only without his consent, but contrary to his commands, and that he neither understood nor would endure conduct so disrespectful "to him."' This was said loudly, publicly, and in a tone of serious displeasure. It was, however, only the muttering of the storm which was to break the next day. "Adolphus Fitzclarence went into his room on Sunday morning, and found him in a state of great excitement. It was his birthday, and, though the celebration was what was called private, there were a hundred people at dinner, either belonging to the Court, or from the neighbourhood. The Duchess of Kent sat on one side of the King, and one of his sisters on the other, the Princess Victoria opposite. Adolphus Fitzclarence sat two or three from the Duchess, and heard every word of what passed. After dinner, by the Queen's desire, 'His Majesty's health, and long life to him,' was given, and, as soon as it was drunk, he made a very long speech, in the course of which he poured forth the following extraordinary and _foudroyante_ tirade:--