[Footnote 4: Peel replied that, as a renewal of the Income Tax was about to be proposed, it would be better to postpone the application to Parliament till the public feeling as to the tax had been ascertained.]
The Queen has received Sir Robert Peel's letter, and is glad that the progress in the House of Commons was so satisfactory.
The Queen was much hurt at Mr Borthwick's most impertinent manner of putting the question with respect to the title of King Consort, and much satisfied with Sir Robert's answer.[5] The title of King is open assuredly to many difficulties, and would perhaps be no _real_ advantage to the Prince, but the Queen is positive that something must at once be done to place the Prince's position on a constitutionally recognised footing, and to give him a title adequate to that position.[6] _How_ and _when_, are difficult questions....
[Footnote 5: A paragraph had appeared in the _Morning Chronicle_, giving credence to a rumour that this title was about to be conferred on the Prince, but, in answer to Mr Peter Borthwick, Sir Robert Peel positively contradicted it.]
SIR,--I received yesterday the accompanying note from Mr Borthwick, and in conformity with the notice therein given, he put the question to me in the House of Commons last evening respecting the paragraph which appeared in the _Morning Chronicle_ respecting the intention of proposing to Parliament that your Royal Highness should assume the title of King Consort.
I very much regret that the _Morning Chronicle_ inserted that paragraph.
The prominent place assigned to it in the newspaper, and a vague intimation that there was some authority for it, have caused a certain degree of credit to be attached to it. It has been copied into all the country newspapers and has given rise to a good deal of conjecture and speculation, which it is far from desirable to excite without necessity.
It appears to me that the editor of the _Morning Chronicle_ acted most unwarrantably in inserting such a paragraph with a pretence of some sort of authority for it.
It has produced an impression which strongly confirms the observations which I took the liberty of making to your Royal Highness on Sunday evening.
I trust, however, that my decided contradiction of the paragraph will put a stop to further surmise and discussion on the subject.