The Duke gave the Cabinet an account of his interview with the King. The
King was with Munster and the Duke of Cumberland when he went; but the Duke
was admitted in about forty minutes, which time he passed with the Lady
Conyngham, who told him he must expect a storm.
The King was in bed, looking very ill. He said, 'Well, what is your business?' and seemed at first most indignant. The Duke, however, corrected his misapprehensions—showed him the dates, and proved that he had known from the first that it was probable Leopold would be proposed by France. The proposition was made by us to Prince Frederick of Orange on November 13, his final answer received on August 11 (there may be a slight error in these dates, as I write from memory). In the meantime the King of France had about November 29, when Leopold took leave of him, told him he would propose him. This was known here immediately, and Leopold distinctly told he could not be heard of till our own candidate was disposed of. The regular proposal of Leopold did not arrive here till January 1, and was communicated to the King with the projet of a protocol, for it was no more, on the 9th.
It was still only a proposition, and the Government now come to advise the
King to consent to it.
The Duke showed the King that there had been ten candidates in all:—
Prince Philip of Hesse Homburgh, Prince John of Saxony, Prince Frederick of
Orange, Prince Charles of Bavaria, Prince Otho of Bavaria, the Archduke
Maximilian, Prince Paul of Wurtemburgh, Prince Leopold, Prince Emilius of
Hesse Darmstadt, and Prince Charles of Mecklenburgh.
The seven first either declined or were rejected. Prince Emilius of Hesse Darmstadt was an aide-de-camp of Bonaparte, and the King would not have him, and with regard to the last, Prince Charles of Mecklenburgh, the Duke showed the King he was much more nearly connected with Prussia, and so with Russia, than with England. The King admitted this, and seemed to have been brought into good humour, when he became so ill that he was obliged to beg the Duke to leave him, and soon after sent him word he would see him in two days. The Duke says he was really unwell, and in fact was taking physic all the time he was with him.
The Duke showed the King that he alone had not the power of nomination.
He had one voice out of three, and there were ten candidates.
'At any rate,' said the King, 'Claremont reverts to the Crown.' The Duke, fearing he might wish to give it to the Duke of Cumberland, or somebody, asked the Chancellor to-day to look at the Act of Parliament and tell us what becomes of Claremont in the event of Leopold's being made King of Greece. The Chancellor looked and thought Claremont would certainly remain to Leopold, and if he died or gave it up go, not to the Crown, that is, not to the King, but, by specific enactment, become a portion of the revenue under the Woods and Forests. Of course Leopold will give up Claremont, which is in fact a source of expense. The Duke said Leopold would be at least innocuous, and he might be of use. The King asked how we could be such fools as to think he would be of any use.
While the Duke was with the King the Duke of Cumberland was with Lady
Conyngham, and told her, amongst other things, that the 'Times' was the
Duke of Wellington's paper.
The 'Morning Journal' is his paper, and uses the expressions he puts into the King's mouth.