When we left off Charles Fox had just assured parliament that Prince George had NOT married Mrs. Fitzherbert, which, to the best of his knowledge, was true. Mrs. Fitzherbert, feeling rightfully slandered, told Priny to make it right or he’d be sleeping on the couch. Now, back to Mr. Al.
The Prince didn’t dare speak to Fox directly so he sent for one of Fox’s friends, Charles Gray, and explained the situation to him. Something had to be done, he told Gray, Fox’s denial had to be modified in such a way that Mrs Fitzherbert would be happy and she wouldn’t make him sleep on the couch anymore.
“Charles (Fox) certainly went too far last night. Said the Prince. You, my dear Gray, shall explain it.” While Gray was pondering how to square the circle, the Prince, with “prodigious agitation” admitted that he and Mrs Fitzherbert had indeed gotten married.
Oh to have been a fly on the wall and seen Grays face when he got this bit of news. Mister Gray’s reaction was predictable, and rather brave considering to whom he was speaking. He refused to do it. If Fox were the cause of all this fuss, Gray informed His Highness, Then His Highness would have to personally speak to Fox about fixing it.
That was not what the Prince wanted to hear. “This answer chagrined, disappointed and agitated the Prince exceedingly.” After a bit of huffing and puffing, his Highness threw himself on the sofa and muttered “Well, then Sheridan must say something.” Richard Brinsley Sheridan was an MP and an old drinking buddy. He was also a Whig who, so the Prince hoped, would do his best for his party by getting the Prince out of this disgraceful situation.
Sheridan agreed to give it a shot. He could make no guarantees as to how his message would be received, but he would try. His problem was that he had to rescue Mrs Fitzherberts good name while omitting a mention of hers and the Princes marriage. Basically, Sheridan agreed to go before Parliament and convince them that the sun set in the east.
Circumstances had intervened to make his task easier. Before giving the speech on May 4, the problem of the Princes finances had been settled “out of court”, as it were. Newnham announced he had no intention of bringing the matter forward. Since the Tory position wasn’t as strong as they would have wished, they were willing let the matter drop.
But Sheridan still had to make his speech. The Prince would have to sleep on the couch until he did. After the usual palaver about what a jolly good fellow the Prince was, he went on to mention ” another person on whose conduct truth could fix no just reproach, and whose character claimed, and was entitled to, the truest and most general respect.”
The House considered it a fine speech. There; everything had been done that could be done. Everyone was happy. Except Mrs Fitzherbert. The speech was not exactly what she had in mind. It was a good speech, to be sure, but it wasn’t the ticket to clearing her good name. And since no one was willing to go near the matter again, his Highness still had to sleep on the couch.
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