Read a letter from Loch, allowing me to show to the Cabinet Lord William’s letters.  He wished them to be read, not shown, or rather not circulated; but it is contrary to all rule, so I left them to-day on the Cabinet table.

The Duke told me yesterday he felt no concession could now be made, although it was a mighty foolish thing to have had a quarrel about.

Got home at 5, dressed, and was going to business, when I found a note from Drummond, desiring me to call on the Duke as soon as I could.  I ordered the carriage and went.  Found the Chancellor there.

It seems there is a great hitch about Prince Leopold’s nomination as Prince Sovereign of Greece.  The French have now proposed it.  We desire it.  Russia acquiesces.  We have always declared we did not care who was Prince Sovereign of Greece, but we were resolved never to acknowledge as such a man in whom we had not confidence.  Some time ago the King of Prussia applied through the Grand Duke of Mecklenburgh to the King for his vote in favour of Prince Charles of Mecklenburgh, the brother of the late Queen of Prussia and of the Duchess of Cumberland.  This application was made through the Duke of Cumberland to the King, and the King returned an answer through the Duke of Cumberland.  What this answer was is not known; but the King having mentioned the circumstance to Aberdeen, and he to the Duke, Aberdeen, by the Duke’s desire, wrote through Sir Brook Taylor to the King of Prussia, and civilly put him off.  This letter of course the King saw, and approved.  The Duchess of Cumberland complains the answer of Aberdeen was very different from that given through the Duke of Cumberland by the King, and says it is an intrigue.

The King has been put up to this, and tells Aberdeen he knows his own ground—­that the people of England will not bear that 50,000L a year shall be paid by them to the Prince of Greece.  He does not care whether Leopold goes or no, but he is determined he shall leave his annuity behind him.

The articles in the ‘Standard’ and other papers, a few days ago, are supposed to have had reference to this then intended rupture.  Aberdeen goes to the King to-morrow, and the Duke having seen all the Cabinet, Aberdeen will, if it should be necessary, declare their concurrent opinion.  The Duke thinks the King will yield to Aberdeen; to avoid seeing him—­if he is obliged to go down, he will declare distinctly to the King that his Majesty had better name whatever Minister he may wish to give his confidence to; but that to whatever Minister he may choose to have, he ought to give his confidence.

Certainly nothing can have been more scandalous than the King’s conduct to the Duke.  He has never given his Government the fair support.  Say what the Duke will, he of Cumberland is believed.

The Duke had a note about the King the other day from Lady Conyngham, written only to tell him the Duke of Cumberland had been four hours with His Majesty.