“My Lord,
“I have in my hands a letter from his Royal Highness to the Queen, which I am commanded to give or transmit to your Lordship; and as I am afraid it might be improper for me to wait upon you at Hampton Court, I must beg you will be so good as to let me know how and in what manner I may deliver or send it to you.
“If I may presume to judge of my Royal Master’s sentiments, he does not conceive himself precluded by the King’s message from taking this, the only means of endeavouring as far as he is able to remove his Majesty’s displeasure.
“I am,
“Your Lordship’s very humble Servant,
“Baltimore.”
This letter caused a considerable flutter at Hampton Court, and a consultation was held as to what was to be done. It was said the Queen was anxious to refuse her son’s letter, but Sir Robert Walpole finished the matter by forbidding her to receive it, or to become mediatrix between the Prince and his father, in which there is no doubt he was simply doing the Queen’s will and taking the blame on his own shoulders.
The following letter was sent in reply to Lord Baltimore’s, and was dictated to Lord Grantham by Sir Robert Walpole. The Queen was on this occasion most anxious that Lord Grantham, who was a notoriously bad writer, should be carefully watched lest he made mistakes, and she was most desirous that the Prince should quite understand her intentions. This is the letter:
“Lord Grantham to Lord Baltimore.
“Hampton Court.
“Sept. 15th, 1737.
“My Lord,
“I have laid your Lordship’s letter before the Queen, who has commanded me to return your Lordship the following answer:—
“‘The Queen is very sorry that the Prince’s behaviour has given the King such just cause of offence, but thinks herself restrained by the King’s last message to the Prince from receiving any application from the Prince on that subject.’