rs_, writing
on 23rd of May, says: "The King prayed that he might live till the
Princess Victoria was of age, and he was very nearly dying just as the
event arrived. He is better, but supposed to be in a very precarious
state. There has been a fresh squabble between Windsor and Kensington
about a proposed allowance to the Princess."

The old King lived but a very short time after the desired event, for he
expired at 2.12 on the morning of the 20th of June, 1837, and how the sad
news was broken to the young Sovereign may best be told in the words of
that mine of anecdote, Miss Frances Williams Wynn, the daughter of Sir
Watkin Williams Wynn (the fourth baronet):

"On Monday we were listening all day for the tolling of the bells,
watching whether the guests were going to the Waterloo dinner at
Apsley House. On Tuesday, at 2.30 a.m., the scene closed, and in a
very short time the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham, the
Chamberlain, set out to announce the event to their young Sovereign.
They reached Kensington Palace at about five; they knocked, they
rang, they thumped for a considerable time before they could rouse
the porter at the gates; they were again kept waiting in the
courtyard, then turned into one of the lower rooms, where they seemed
forgotten by everybody. They rang the bell, desiring that the
attendant of the Princess Victoria might be sent to inform H.R.H.
that they requested an audience on business of importance. After
another delay, and another ringing to enquire the cause, the
attendant was summoned, who stated that the _Princess_ was in such a
sweet sleep, she could not venture to disturb her. Then they said,
'We come to the _Queen_ on business of State, and even her sleep must
give way to that.' It did; and, to prove that _she_ did not keep
them waiting, in a few minutes she came into the room in a loose
white night-gown and shawl, her nightcap thrown off, and her hair
falling upon her shoulders, her feet in slippers, tears in her eyes,
but perfectly collected and dignified."

Lord Melbourne was summoned to Kensington Palace by the Queen at 9 a.m.,
and a Privy Council was called for 11 a.m., but the notice was so short
that several of the Privy Councillors had no time to put on their
official costume, and were obliged to attend in undress. Amongst others
who made their appearance at Court in this novel f