d see him, and
that he was convinced if the Duke had his own way, he would be
disposed to do this; but that if it was left to Lyndhurst and
Ellenborough, it was impossible to answer for what they might do.
His own impression was, that they might and ought to give him
precedence for her life over the rest of the Royal Family (though
it was very awkward with regard to the King of Hanover, when he
refused his consent), but not over a Prince of Wales, to which,
he thought, they never would consent. We talked the matter over
in all its bearings, and the result was, that he undertook to go
to the Duke and tell him what I had said. I had (not an hour ago)
a confirmation of what he said as to Ellenborough, for I met him
at his own door (next mine), when I said to him, 'What are you
going to do about the precedence?' To which he said, 'Oh, give
him the same which Prince George of Denmark had: place him next
before the Archbishop of Canterbury.' I said, 'That will by no
means satisfy the Queen;' at which he tossed up his head, and
said, 'What does that signify?'

FitzGerald afterwards talked to me of Peel and his party, of
their violent language on account of his conduct in the Privilege
question, and of his annoyance at their separation from him--not
the lawyers, or those really competent to form an opinion, but
the great mass destitute of the knowledge or understanding
necessary to form an opinion--and only opposing him because he
supported John Russell. Amongst other things, when we were
talking of the event of May last, and of the Queen's antipathy to
Peel, he said that it was altogether unaccountable, for even from
his last interview he had come away not dissatisfied with her
manner, and he owned that he had no doubt Melbourne did his best
honestly to drive out of her mind the prejudices which have so
great an influence upon her; and at that very crisis, he told me
as a proof of it, that at the ball at Court, Melbourne went up to
Peel and whispered to him with the greatest earnestness, 'For
God's sake, go and speak to the Queen.' Peel did not go, but the
entreaty and the refusal were both characteristic. FitzGerald
said, that nothing would induce Peel to continue (after this
fight) a worrying war with the Government; and added, what is
very true, that though a weak Opposition was a very bad thing,
there was no small danger and difficulty in leading a strong one.

February 4th, 1840 {p.264}

After four nights' debate