The Mary Hamilton Papers : Letter from Charlotte Finch to Mary Hamilton

Finch (née Fermor), Charlotte, Lady

The Mary Hamilton Papers

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Letter from Charlotte Finch to Mary Hamilton relating to the death of Prince Alfred. Finch asks Hamilton to write to her to let her know how the King and Queen do after the ‘distressing scene they have gone thro[ugh] with so much suffering & Resignation’. She cannot describe how sad she felt yesterday waking up with everybody silent and sad. The reflection ‘on the Happiness of the dear little object of this sorrow, must be our great consolation’.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Finch notes that she has some difficulty of her own that she begs that Hamilton will show the Queen and ask her permission to take it to the King. The case is that the King had said that Finch could have her family with her as soon as she wished and she is ready to receive them and has written to Mr Secker for him to organise the necessary orders as to the Table which the King had granted ‘in the same manner I used to have it from the Princes Kitchen at Kew’. He has replied that the diet shall be ordered but that the dishes and plates has not been sent down and cannot do so until he received the order from the King. She does not wish to bring such a subject to the King’s attention at such a time but is under the necessity to do so. Finch writes that she will not sleep away from the house until the child’s remains have been removed but it will be consolation to have her family to go to.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Dated at Lower Lodge [Windsor].</p>