71 be (Court.
THE Queen had a dinner-party on Saturday, which included the Dutehess of' Kent, Lady Flora Hastings, Miss Davvs, the Earl of Sorry, the Marquis of Douro, •Lord Palmerston, and ihe Marehiouess of Nornumby.
On Monday, the dinner company at the Palace consisted of Viscount Melbourne, Dowager Countess Cowper. „Emig _Fanny Cowper, Mr. 117/- liani Cowper, Lords Byron, Uxbridge, Sorry, Mr. Charles Gore, and Sir Joseph Copley. Viscount Melbourne also dined with the Queen on Wednesday and Thursday. The Marquis of Headfort was included in the Wednesday's company.
The Queen held a Court at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. The Earl of Clarendon was presented, on his return front Madrid, by Lord Palmerston.
The Lord Chamberlain announced, in Tuesday's Gazette, that the Queen will hold Drawing-rooms at St. James's Palace on the following days, at two o'clock-
" Thursday, April 11. Thursday, May 23, to celebrate Thursday, April 23. her Mak' -Jy's Birth-day.
Thursday, May 2. Thursday, June 20.
"N. B. The Knights of the several Orders are to appear in their collars at her Drawmg-roonis On Thursday April 25, being a collar-day; on Thursday May 23, being for the celebration of her Majesty's Birth-day ; and on Thursday June 20, being a collar-day."
Levees will be held on Wednesday April 17th, Wednesday April 24th, and Wednesday May 8th. It is said that Queen Adelaide will reside at Norris Castle, East Cowes, duriug the next summer.
The following letter from Mr. Hamilton Fitzgerald, who married a sister of the late Marquis of I lastings, was published, first in the Examiner of last Sunday, and afterwards in all the daily papers.
"Sir—Many false and contradictory reports of the deploralile insult which has been lately offered to my niece, Lady Flora I lastings, at Buckingham Palace, having appeared in the public papers, I, as her Ladyship's nearest connexion, feel it my duty to request of you to publish the 'following account of the transaction, for the correctness of which I vouch. An imperfect knowledge of the details of' this odious affair has produced %serious fel,: conclusions. In well-infbrmed circles, where Lady Flora is known, the idea of her guilt was never entertained for a moment ; bttt in other quarters, where, in the absence of positive infbrmation, a judgment is limiteii by what oozes out in the public papers, I find an injurious idea exists that she has been spared, or let off easy.' The facts are briefly these- " Lady Flora arrived some weeks since from Scotland, verv unwell. She immediately consulted Sir James Clark, the physician to both her 3Iojesty and the Dutchess of Kent. One symptom of her complaint was a swelling of the stomach. By dint of exercise and medical treatment she was getting better; the swelling had considerably subsided, and she had every hope of a speedy recovery ; when, on or about the 1st of March, Sir James Clark went to her room and announced to her the conviction of the ladies of the Palace that she was pregnant. In answer to all his exhortations to youtiission, 'as the only means of saving her character,' Lady Flora returned au indignant but steady denial that there was any thing to contbss. Upon which, Sir James Clark told her, 'that nothing but her submitting to a medical examination would ever satisfy them, or remove the stigma from her name.' Lady Flora found that the subject had been brought before the Queen's notice, and thitt all this had been discussed, arranged, and denounced to her without one word hying been said on the subject to Iler own mistress the Dutchess of Kent ; who had no suspicion of what was going on, and whose sanction was not sought for the humiliating proposition which had been made to Lady Flora. On leavnig Lady Flora's room, Sir James Clark went to the Dutchess of Kent, and announced his conviction that Lady Flora was with child; and was followed by Lady Portman, who conveyed a message from her Majesty to her mother to say that the Queen would not permit Lady Flora to appear till the examina- tion had taken place. Lady Portman (who with Lady Tavistock are those whose names are mentioned as most active against Lady Flora) expressed to the Dutehess of Kent her conviction of Lade Flora's guilt. 'Her beloved mistress' never for a moment doubted Lady Flora's innocence. Site said that she knew her, her principles, and her flintily, too well to listen to such a charge. However, the edict was given; and the next day, Lady Flom having obtained the Dutchess of Kent's very reluctant consent—' for her Rwt1
Highness could not bear the idea of law CNI/OSed to such a humiliation —
but Lady Flora, ...feeling it her ditty to her Ilighness, to her tinnily, and to hersc:If, that a point-blank refutation should be instantly given to the lie,' submitted herself to the most rigid eeamination ; and now possesses a certid- cate, signed by Sir James Clark, and Aso by Sir Charles Clark, stating, as strongly OS language can state it, that tihire arc no grounds for believing that iwegnancy does exist, or ever has existed.' Lord Hastings, though at the,time very ill trom influenza, went to London instantly, and demanded and obtained front Lord Melbourne a distinct disavowil of his participation in the affair; and demanded and old slued an audieiwe of her i'lajesty; in which, while hs disclaimed all idea that the Queen hail any wish to injure his sister, he plainly, though respeetfhlly, slated his opinien of those who had counselled her, and his resolution to find out the originator of the shinier, and bring him or her to Ifunislinuint. Lady Flora is convinced lb it the Queen was surprised into the order which was Oven, and that her Majesty did not understand what she was betrayed into; fur ever sit,ise the horrid event, her Majesty has showed her re- gret hy the most gracious kindness to Lady Flora, and expressed it warmly, with tears in her eyes: The Ifittehess of Kent's conduct was perfect : mother could not have been kinder.' 'She immediately dismissed Sir James Clark from her service, and refic,ed to see Lady Portman ; ' and has crowned her goodness by a most beautiful letter she has written to the Downger Lady Hastings, from whom the accounts were kept till all hope of avoiding publicity was impossible. "1 um, Sir, your very obedient servant, HAMILTON FITZGERALD. " Mareh 12."
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