It was therefore no doubt owing to this reason that neither the Prince or Princess of Wales appeared to be in any hurry to publicly announce this event. As a matter of fact the first formal intimation of it was conveyed in the following letter from the Prince to his royal mother, sent by Lord North, his Lord of the Bedchamber then in waiting.
De Kew ce 5 de juillet.
Madame,
Le Dr. Hollings et Mrs. Cannons vient de me dire qu’il n’y a plus à douter de la grossesse de la Princesse d’abord que j’ai eu leur autorité, je n’ai pas voulu manquer d’en faire part à votre Majesté, et de la supplier d’en informer le Roi en même tems.
Je suis avec tout le respect possible, Madame,
De Votre Majesté
Le très humble et très obeissant fils et serviteur
Frederick.
Lord Hervey relates in his Memoirs that on the occasion of the next visit of the Princess to the Court, she was subjected by the Queen to a series of questions, perhaps quite natural under the circumstances. To these questions she received from the Princess of Wales but one answer throughout:—“I don’t know.”
Being at last wearied with this continual repetition of the same response, she changed the subject. But in the light of other events it is perfectly clear that the Princess had her answer prepared beforehand, and was determined she would give the Queen as little information on the subject as possible. There cannot be a doubt that the Prince and Princess had made their minds up together on this point, and that they had some very good reason for it.
What was that reason?
A study of the events that followed will probably disclose the answer.
The most circumstantial record of these events is undoubtedly that given by Lord Hervey, though written with great bias, and his usual endeavour to blacken the Prince’s character as much as possible.