The book: or the investigation of the conduct of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales / being the evidence given under a Commission from the King; with Her Royal Highness's defence and other important documents.

  • Caroline, Queen, consort of George IV, King of Great Britain, 1768-1821
Date:
1813
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The book: or the investigation of the conduct of Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales / being the evidence given under a Commission from the King; with Her Royal Highness's defence and other important documents. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    39/98 (page 37)
    / 3; can in our judginciit leave no question on lliis part of tile subject. That child was, ■ beyond all doubt, born in Brownlow-street hospital, on the 11th day of July, 1802, of the body of Sophia Austin, and was first brought to the Princess’s house in the month of November following. Neither should w'C be more w arranted in e.xpressing any doubt respect- ing the alleged pregnancy pf the Princess, as stated in the original Declaration, a fact so fullj^ contradict- ed, and by so many witnesses, to whom, if true, it must in various ways be known, that we cannot think it entitled to the smallest credit. The testimonies on these two points are oontained in the annexed Deposi- tions and Letters. We have not partially abstracted them in this Report, lest by any unintentional omis- sion we might weaken their effect; but we humbly offer to your hlajesty this our clear and unanimous judgment upon them, formed upon full deliberation, and pronounced without hesitation,on the result of the whole enquiry. We do not, liowever, feel ourselves at liberty, much as we should wisli it, to close our Report here. Besides the allegation of the preg- nancy and delivery of the Princess, those Declara- tions, on the whole of which yourMajesty has been pleased to command us to enquire and report, con- tain, as we have already remarked, other particulars respecting the conduct of her Royal Highness, such as must, especially considering her exalted rank and station, necessarily give occasion to very unfavourabla interpretations. From the various depositions and proofs annexed to (his Report, particularly from the examinations of Robert Bidgood, Wm. Cole, Frances Lloyd, and .Mr. Li le, yourMajesty will perceive that several strong circumstances of this description have been positively sworn to by witnesses, who cannot, in our judgment, be suspected of any unfavourable bias, and whose veracity, in this respect, we have seen no ground to question. “ On the precise bearing and efl'ect of the fact*