With respect to this strand business of the little Princess’ late elopement, it is sufficient to say with regard to its circumstances that you will have found them detailed with tolerable accuracy in your Times of yesterday and today and with regard to the causes that led to it I have only learnt in general (and too since the event) that the Prince and Regent having found all sorts of improper and positively---------visits and correspondence were allowed at Warwick House had resolved to avail himself of the opportunity of the Duchess of Leeds’s resignation to turn over a new leaf by dismissing Miss Knight and most if not all of the other female etcetera’s and substituting in their stead the Dames and damsels whose names you will have seen ---------- in your newspaper aforesaid. And moreover by recovering (?) the Princess to Carlton House, where by the help of late alterations, have been found to provide apartments for herself and a competent number of attendants, Cranborne Lodge being at the same time destined for her Summer residence and it was the sudden unfolding of these intentions (towards the Evening of Tuesday last) that led to the Princess’s sudden resolution of making her escape to her mother, a scheme however which is there way of a resource to be kept in reserve for any such unforeseen contingency in consequence of her having been imbibed (in common with many others who ought to know better) the absurd notion that in her quality of a princess she had by the completion o her 18th year legally emancipated from parental authority and accordingly she appeared to cling to the last to this idea in site for the remonstrances of her mother (who seems to have behaved on the occasion with more propriety than mighty have been expected) aided by those of Mr Brougham that it was noy until 3 o’clock on the morning of Wednesday that the Duke of York finally succeeded in bringing her away from Connate Place, and she is now lodged at Carlton House in attendance her removal to Cranborne: Which I suppose will take place very shortly to save the awkwardness for her non appearance in the Prince's Entertainment of next Thursday. As respecting which (by the way) I can only say in answer to your Query that in my humble judgment your coming up for it, or not, is quite ad libitum. Every sincerely yours, St Helens Friday 15th July 1814.

Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St Helens, 1753-1839 was a British diplomat. He was Minister Plenipotentiary to Russia from 1783 to 1788, appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland and a member of the Privy Council (Great Britain & Ireland) in 1787, serving in the former position until 1789. He was Minister plenipotentiary to Spain from 1790 to 1794. He was a friend of explorer George Vancouver, who named Mount St. Helens in what is now the U.S. state of Washington after him. Size is 190mm x 120mm. Condition is good. Light folding crease. Age toning.