[20] These two were much attached to one another. The Duke was a grandson of Charles II., but hardly an Adonis, as he weighed 20 stone.
[21] The Right Hon. Henry Pelham, son of Lord Pelham, and brother of Thomas Pelham, Duke of Newcastle, whose title had been revived in his favour by George the First.
[22] He never was made Secretary to the Queen. This was probably one of Her Majesty’s jokes.
[23] The double marriage scheme which had come up again for a little time.
[24] The Hon. Peter Wentworth to Lord Strafford, London, 1734.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Prince’s Embarrassments.
The Prince of Wales having for the few years immediately succeeding his coming to England occupied his exalted position with a totally inadequate income had, as might reasonably have been expected, become exceedingly involved in debt.
Though possessing no separate establishment of his own (except as will be seen later an illicit one), yet he was placed in a position of much difficulty and temptation.
He appears to have received from his father a small and uncertain allowance, and when pressed by his creditors was absolutely refused assistance by the King.
The intervention of the Queen in favour of Frederick at this period seems to have been quite useless, and from that time forth grew up that sad state of affairs which eventually compassed the total estrangement of the Prince from his father and mother.