Mrs. FitzHerbert, on the othe: hand, never claimed any rights over her faithless husband. She continued to live in Brighton, where she was known and loved by all who came in contact with her. "George TV, who invariably referred to. her—And not to Caroline—as his true: wife, made a remarkable will in her favour. It lies now in the private family" archives at Windsor.
In it he declared Mary to be his real and only wite, and directed that locket containing her which he always wore next his heart, should be interred with him. When he was buried In Windsor in 1830, the great Duke of Wellington was deputed, on behalf of the new King, to assure Mrs. FitzHerbert that the last wish of his brother had been carried out.
William TV offered to create the woman whom his predecessor had so cruelly wronged Duchess of Munster. But, with a dignity peculiar to her, she refused any title. On the other hand, she insisted to the day of her death thay her servants should wear Royal livery.
What Might Have Been Less than a hundred years ago, Mary FitzHerbert died. Or should one say Queen Mary? Her love-story was a tragic one, but she, heroine, stands out as a model of loyalty and fidelity. After countless sorrows and humiliations, she knew that her royal lover's last thought was of herself As recently as 1905, it was definitely established that Mary FitzHerbert was actually the wife of George IV. In that year, a packet, originally deposited by her in Coutt's Bank in 1833, was opened, by King Edward's Permission. It was found to contain the marriage certificate, which was valid in every respect.
"Mary bore the King no children. It she had done so, the succession the crown would have given cause to endless "controversy and open impossible to say which way the final decision would have gone.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.