vacant while the heir was still a minor. A similar necessity had arisen
in the preceding reign on the death of the present King's father, and a
bill had accordingly been introduced by Mr. Pelham, the minister of the
day, which, in the event of the reigning sovereign dying during the
minority of the boy who had now become the immediate heir to the throne,
vested both the guardianship of his person and the Regency of the
kingdom in his mother, the Princess Dowager of Wales, who, however, in
the latter capacity, was only to act with the advice of a council,
composed of her brother-in-law, the Duke of Cumberland, and nine
principal officers of state. It was not concealed by either the King or
the Duke that they would have preferred a different arrangement, one
which would have conferred an uncontrolled Regency on the Duke himself;
but the bill was passed by great majorities in both Houses, and served
in some respects as a model for that which was now to be brought
forward, the difference being that the Regent was not to be expressly
named in it. To quote the words of the royal speech, the King "proposed
to the consideration of the two Houses whether, under the present
circumstances, it would not be expedient to vest in him the power of
appointing from time to time, by instrument in writing under his
sign-manual, either the Queen or any other member of the royal family
usually residing in Great Britain, to be the guardian of the person of
his successor, and the Regent of these kingdoms, until such successor
should attain the age of eighteen years, subject to such restrictions
and regulations as were specified and contained in an act passed on a
similar occasion in the fourteenth year of the late King; the Regent so
appointed to be assisted by a council, composed of the several persons
who, by reason of their dignities and offices, were constituted members
of the council established by that act, together with those whom the
Parliament might think proper to leave to his nomination."