Beschreibung:

ALBUM - ROYALTYCollection of some 120 autograph letters, from George III, Queen Charlotte, the Prince of Wales, various members of the Royal Family and others, to Hon. George Villiers and his wife Maria Theresa, with Villiers' drafts and retained copies, many marked "Private", "Confidential" or "Secret", loosely inserted into an album, including:
George III: Autograph letter signed ("George R"), to George Villiers, approving of improvements to Cranbourne Lodge ("...probably Mr Wyatt's Composition might be reused then with advantage..."), one page, 4to, Queen's Palace, 4 June 1804; with two draft letters from Villiers to Mr Pitt, the first referring to an incident involving the King "...at the stables yesterday before the grooms indecent & obscene beyond description...", September 1804; another complaining of the King's doctor, Dr Simons who "...throws HM into a state of derangement & irritation that is very alarming..." and suggesting that if Dr Simons were removed, a reconciliation between the King and the Prince might take place, mentioning his "...near twenty years confidential experience of HM..."; copy letter from Queen Charlotte to the Prime Minister Mr Addington, fearing the sight of Dr Willis will distress her husband ("...the King's agitation was so visible at the seeing of Dr Heberden Whom he likes..."), 15 February 1804; copy of the official Deed of Approval for the Regency (beginning "...In the present dreadfull and alarming illness with which it has pleased Almighty Providence to afflict the King...") with copy signatures of Queen Charlotte and nine of her children, one page, 4to, Queen's House, 15 February 1804
Confidential correspondence between Colonel John McMahon and George Villiers 1806-7 ("Quite Secret, Entre Nous"), regarding the report of the Special Commissioners into the scandal concerning Princess Caroline, accused of having an illegitimate son in 1804 ("The Princess... to be forbidden Carlton House & all intercourse with the P.[rince]... Captain Manby shall be no more Employed in HM's Navy...") (8); with autograph letter from George, Prince of Wales ("Your most affectionate friend George P"), confirming he has asked "...my friend Mr Mahon to write most confidentially & at large upon the present position of affairs...", 3 pages, 4to, Carlton House, 30 July 1806
George, Prince of Wales: Autograph letter signed ("Your most affectionate brother George P"), to his sister Princess Amelia ("my beloved Amelia"), a long and affectionate letter, assuring her of his love during her "sad sufferings", mentioning a "tete a tete" with the King during which the King assured him of "the greatest possible feeling and love for you", 5 pages, 4to, Carlton House, 28 October 1809; with copy of his letter to his mother asking for a reconciliation with his father ("...Were this allowed me, I should fly to throw myself at the King's feet... I have long grieved that misinterpretations have estrang'd His Majestie's mind from me...", speaking of the "...incalculable importance to His Majesty & the Country of the whole Royal Family's appearing united in a moment so awful as the present..."; and a copy of the Queen's joyful answer ("...I shall not be behind hand to seize that moment for wch I have so long anxiously pray'd. & I trust will be the means of again uniting our too long separated family..."), 4 pages on a bifolium, 8vo, [n.p., n.d.]; with Accounts of the "Prince of Wales's Establishment on the 5th January 1793", 3 pages on a bifolium, folio
Queen Charlotte: Seven affectionate letters from Queen Charlotte ("your affectionate mother and friend") to her daughter Princess Amelia during her final illness, telling her to trust her doctors and sending news of the outside world ("...we learn that Bony is very ill & that His Physicians & Surjeans [sic] are sent for from Paris...") and parties (including a long description of a visit to Ham House "...quite a little Earthly Paradise..."), but regrets there is "...not even a little Scandall which sometime enlivens a letter...",
24 pages, 8vo and 4to, September and October 1809; autograph letter to George Villiers, refuting rumours that she and her daughters had asked the Prince of Wales for help at a time when the King is quite well, assuring him that she has always done her duty even "...at the most unhappy moments...", asking him to pass this information onto Mr Pitt, and to burn this letter, 3 pages, 4to, [n.p., n.d. but 1804 according to accompanying note]; and another to Theresa Villiers, 1806
Princess Amelia: Copy letter from Princess Amelia to Dr Halford, physician to the Prince of Wales, admonishing him for his treatment and his indiscretion ("...I have asked nothing of you except secrecy..."), 9 September, and Halford's conciliatory reply, with another; autograph letter from a young Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince Regent to her aunt, Princess Amelia, one dated 19 February 1808 ("...things are going on so badly at Black Heath; that it is become so irksome to me... Such things are said & done that it is quite shocking... I never am so happy as when I am at the Queen's House..."); autograph letter signed ("very sincere friend and humble servant George P") to Theresa Villiers, written two days after the death of Princess Amelia, referring to the sorrow of his sister's great love Charles Fitzroy, praising her husband [George Villiers] for his "...delicate, most upright and most honourable conduct...", giving the picture of her "sweet child" to Fitzroy, on mourning paper, address wrapper with black wax seal, 3 pages, 4to,, Windsor, 4 November 1810; with draft notes by the Prince Regent who, with the Duke of Cambridge, is taking over from FitzRoy in the task of disposing of Princess Amelia's effects, making some suggestions including "The Topazes... to Miss Villiers who is mentioned by The Princess A. as her adopted child...", 5 pages, 4to, [n.d. but probably 1810]; Villiers' retained copies of letters from the Duke of Grafton to George Prince of Wales plotting to remove Fitzroy from the post of equerry so that it should appear to be the wish of the King ("...expressed in moments when it has pleased God to allow Him the exercise of his Reason and Judgement..."); and the Prince's reply thanking him for his help in this "painful affair", concluding "I do now receive Lt. Gen. FitzRoy's Resignation...", June 1813
George II: Autograph letter from William Gibson sending a copy of a letter from George II to Frederick, Prince of Wales after the birth of his daughter Princess Augusta in 1737, furious that his son had concealed news of his wife's pregnancy and had "...precipitately hurried the Princess from Hampton Court in a condition not to be named...", and ordering him to remove his family from St James's Palace, 3 pages on a bifolium, folio, Well's Coffee House, 24 September 1737
Group of correspondence to Theresa Villiers from Princesses Mary, Sophie, Amelia and the Princes Adolphus Frederick and Edward with collection of fragments from Amelia; with additional letters from William IV (2); Prince Albert; Queen Victoria; the King of Hanover; Adelaide d'Orleans (to Mary Berry , 1836-7; and much else, c.110 leaves, half maroon roan gilt, decorative spine gilt stamped 'Autographs' and 'Royal Letters', worn, brass clasp and key held by a red ribbon, 4to (235 x 280mm.), [late eighteenth-century/early nineteenth-century]Footnotes'I WILL WAIT ON HRH WHEN & WHERE HE MAY PLEASE TO COMMAND': THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF GEORGE & THERESA VILLIERS, COURTIERS AT THE HEART OF GEORGIAN INTRIGUE & POLITICS, HELD IN A LOCKED ALBUM.
This correspondence came to the collection of Lady Maria Theresa Villiers (1803-1865) from her parents, the Hon. George Villiers (1759-1827), courtier and politician, and the Hon. Theresa Parker (1775-1856), daughter of John Parker Viscount Boringdon and Earl of Morley. Her mother was a friend and confidante of the daughters of George III, particularly the youngest child, his favourite Princess Amelia (1783-1810), who died of consumption in her twenties. George Villiers was fiercely loyal to George III (earning him the sobriquet 'Tiger') and, as these letters show, was also regarded with great affection by members of the Royal Family, especially the Prince of Wales, and Princesses Sophia, Mary and Amelia. He held a number of sinecures and influential posts which gave him access to the innermost workings of the Hanoverian Court. He was appointed Groom of the Bedchamber to George III in 1783, where he witnessed the King's most degrading moments during his illness (many "obscene beyond words" according to a letter in this collection), and held the lucrative post of Paymaster of Marines from 1792. In 1805 he was appointed ranger of Cranbourne Chase and was given Cranbourne Lodge which, as shown here in a personal letter to Villiers, George III allowed him to renovate.
The majority of the letters date from the period 1804-1810, a turbulent time when the Royal Family was divided and yet, according to a revealing letter from George, Prince of Wales, having to maintain a "united front" for the public. They reflect the major issues of the day – the arrangements of the separation of the Prince of Wales and Caroline of Brunswick (including the "Delicate Investigation" of her supposed infidelities), the King's madness and troubles with his doctors and the ever-present question of the Regency. They reveal a web of intrigue and secrets at the heart of Royal affairs, with Villiers acting as a trusted go-between, particularly for the Prince of Wales ("...The P is extremely fidgety... he would gladly forgoe [sic] the Dinner, then whole or any part of the Concert, so as to meet you at six in the evening..."). He writes to Col. MacMahon in 1807 on the awkwardness of his position, that he is concerned about "private meetings, publicly known" with the Prince of Wales, which serves to exacerbate the atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust around him.
It may be telling that this is the only album in Lady Lewis' collection to be fitted with a lock and key. Many of the documents are marked secret and, fortunately for posterity, Villiers ignored instructions to burn after reading, took copies of letters that passed through his hands, and retained drafts of his own letters, perhaps as an insurance policy against future events. On the death of Princess Amelia in 1810, it was widely reported that both George and Theresa Villiers attempted to blackmail the Royal Family by threatening to release some of her correspondence. In the same year an investigation of the finance committee into his time as Paymaster of the Marines uncovered a debt of nearly £250,000 which led to him surrendering all property to the crown and a rapid fall from grace. Such compromising material made good surety as, despite the financial scandals that engulfed him later, Villiers did retain some influence until his death. It has been suggested that references to Princess Amelia's "adopted" daughter, may reveal that Lady Lewis, ostensibly the child of George Villiers and his wife, was in fact the illegitimate daughter of Princess Amelia and her lover General Fitzroy (1762-1831) – letters in the album show that the child, Maria Theresa, was left a valuable parure of topazes in Amelia's will and the Princess was in the possession of a picture of the child when she died. The letters may also reveal a conspiracy seemingly led by the Prince of Wales to oust Fitzroy from his position after Amelia's death.
Provenance: Hon. George Villiers (1759-1827) and the Hon. Theresa Villiers (née Parker) (1775-1856); Lady Maria Theresa Lewis (née Villiers) (1803-1865); her son Sir Thomas Villiers Lister (1832-1902); thence by descent.