oronation King
George IV. gave Lord Gwydir _his_ box in addition to his own, and
now Lord Cholmondeley claims a similar box.[6] This is resisted.
The present King disposes of his own box (and will probably fill
it with every sort of _canaille_); the Lords won't interfere, and
the Grand Chamberlain protests, and says he has been shamefully
used, and there the matter stands. The Grand Chamberlain is in
the wrong.

[6] [Lord Gwydir and Lord Cholmondeley filled the office of
Lord High Chamberlain for alternative lives as the
representatives of the joint claimants of the office.]

September 3rd, 1831 {p.188}

On Wednesday a Council was held. Very few of the Ministers stay
for the Councils; small blame to them, as the Irish say, for we
are kept about three times as long by this regular, punctual King
as by the capricious, irregular Monarch who last ruled over us.
This King is a queer fellow. Our Council was principally for a
new Great Seal and to deface the old Seal. The Chancellor claims
the old one as his perquisite. I had forgotten the hammer, so the
King said, 'My Lord, the best thing I can do is to give you the
Seal, and tell you to take it and do what you please with it.'
The Chancellor said, 'Sir, I believe there is some doubt whether
Lord Lyndhurst ought not to have half of it, as he was Chancellor
at the time of your Majesty's accession.' 'Well,' said the King,
'then I will judge between you like Solomon; here (turning the
Seal round and round), now do you cry heads or tails?' We all
laughed, and the Chancellor said, 'Sir, I take the bottom part.'
The King opened the two compartments of the Seal and said, 'Now,
then, I employ you as ministers of taste. You will send for
Bridge, my silversmith, and desire him to convert the two halves
each into a salver, with my arms on one side and yours on the
other, and Lord Lyndhurst's the same, and you will take one and
give him the other, and both keep them as presents from me.' The
Duchess of Kent will not attend the coronation, and there is a
report that the King is unwilling to make all the Peers that are
required; this is the current talk of the day.

September 5th, 1831 {p.189}

At Gorhambury since Saturday; the Harrowbys, Bathursts, Frankland
Lewes's, Lady Jersey, Mahon, Lushington, Wortleys; rather
agreeable and lively; all anti-Reformers, so no quarrelling about
that, though Lord Harrowby is ready to squabble with anybody
either way