ards known as
the Milan commission, was sent out by the prince regent to collect
evidence for a divorce suit. Not only Liverpool, but Eldon, who had
formerly stood her friend, concurred in the appointment of this
commission, promoted by Sir John Leach, and its report was the
foundation of the proceedings now taken against her.

These proceedings were immediately due to her own action in returning to
England in June, 1820, but this action was not wholly unprovoked. She
had long and bitterly resented her official exclusion from foreign
courts, and when, after the king's accession, her name was omitted from
the prayer-book, she protested against it as an intolerable insult.
Contrary to the advice of her wisest partisans, including Brougham, she
persisted in braving the wrath of the king and throwing herself upon the
people. She was received at Dover with acclamations from immense
multitudes; and her journey to and through London was a continued
ovation. Not that her innocence was established even in the popular
mind, but that, innocent or guilty, she was regarded as a persecuted
woman, and persecuted by a worthless husband. The ministry fulfilled its
promise to the king by moving the house of lords to institute an inquiry
into the queen's conduct. Pending this, conferences took place between
Wellington and Castlereagh, on the part of the king, and Brougham and
Denman on that of the queen. It was at once laid down as a preliminary
basis of the negotiation that neither should the king be understood to
retract, nor the queen to admit, any allegation against her. The points
upon which she inflexibly insisted were, the recognition of her royal
status at foreign courts, through an official introduction by the
British ambassador, and the insertion of her name in the prayer-book.

The house of commons, on the motion of Wilberforce, offered to protect
her honour (whatever that might import) on condition of her waiving this
last point, but she courteously declined its conciliatory proposals on
June 22. On July 4 a secret committee of the house of lords recommended
a solemn investigation, to be carried out "in the course of a
legislative proceeding," and on the 8th Liverpool introduced a bill of
pains and penalties, to deprive her of her title, and to dissolve her
marriage. The second reading of this bill was formally set down for
August 17, and for several weeks afterwards the house of lords was
occupied in hearing evidence in supp