The seven first either declined or were rejected.  Prince Emilius of Hesse Darmstadt was an aide-de-camp of Bonaparte, and the King would not have him, and with regard to the last, Prince Charles of Mecklenburgh, the Duke showed the King he was much more nearly connected with Prussia, and so with Russia, than with England.  The King admitted this, and seemed to have been brought into good humour, when he became so ill that he was obliged to beg the Duke to leave him, and soon after sent him word he would see him in two days.  The Duke says he was really unwell, and in fact was taking physic all the time he was with him.

The Duke showed the King that he alone had not the power of nomination.  He had one voice out of three, and there were ten candidates.

‘At any rate,’ said the King, ‘Claremont reverts to the Crown.’  The Duke, fearing he might wish to give it to the Duke of Cumberland, or somebody, asked the Chancellor to-day to look at the Act of Parliament and tell us what becomes of Claremont in the event of Leopold’s being made King of Greece.  The Chancellor looked and thought Claremont would certainly remain to Leopold, and if he died or gave it up go, not to the Crown, that is, not to the King, but, by specific enactment, become a portion of the revenue under the Woods and Forests.  Of course Leopold will give up Claremont, which is in fact a source of expense.  The Duke said Leopold would be at least innocuous, and he might be of use.  The King asked how we could be such fools as to think he would be of any use.

While the Duke was with the King the Duke of Cumberland was with Lady Conyngham, and told her, amongst other things, that the ‘Times’ was the Duke of Wellington’s paper.

The ‘Morning Journal’ is his paper, and uses the expressions he puts into the King’s mouth.

Aberdeen says Leopold is quite aware of all he will have to go through.

He has written to Lord Stuart to ascertain whether there is any truth in the report of his being engaged to the daughter of the Duke of Orleans.

I cannot help thinking that is so, and that the French proposition originates in that.

January 16.

Read last night a very interesting report by Captain Wade of his mission to
Runjeet Singh in 1827.

Received a box from the Duke with a circular note saying the King is not well enough to see him before Tuesday.  He has seen no one since he saw the Duke, and the Duke hears he was not mistaken in his judgment of the effect he thought he had produced upon the King’s mind; so I suppose this matter, which looked threatening at first, may be considered as settled, although not yet formally terminated.

The King will, I dare say, make another plunge when he finds Claremont will not be at his personal disposal, as he seems to have imagined.

January 19.

Read all day Sir Thomas Munro’s Life, which contains a great deal of interesting and valuable information.  He was a very great man.