# - Fisher, John.

comprising 19 letters by Princess Charlotte, 11 letters by Princess Sophia, 7 letters by Princess Elizabeth, 6 letters each by Prince Edward Duke of Kent and Princess Mary, 5 letters by Prince Adolphus Frederick Duke of Cambridge, 3 letters by Prince Frederick Duke of York and Albany, 2 letters by Princess Augusta, 1 letter by Sir Benjamin Bloomfield the secretary of the Prince of Wales, drafts of two letters by Fisher to the Prince of Wales, and four others, many items with envelopes and wax seal impressions, about 180 pages, chiefly 4to and 8vo, 1789-1822 

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

an important and apparently unrecorded source illuminating the personal life of two generations of the royal family. John Fisher (Bishop of Exeter 1803-7 then Bishop of Salisbury 1807-25) was one of George III's favourite clergymen and had a long and intimate relationship with the royal family. He was a chaplain to the king, a canon at Windsor, tutor to Prince Edward, drawing master to Princess Elizabeth, and, from 1805 to 1817, was charged with the education of Princess Charlotte of Wales. In these personal letters, the princes and especially princesses write about family squabbles, reconciliations, deaths, and other news - such as when Princess Elizabeth provides a detailed account of her foundation of a "little School at Old Windsor" ("...in my walks I have often regretted the sad neglect which has been shown to the poor children particularly the girls...").

The letters from Princess Charlotte range from 1806 when she was a ten year-old girl ("...I own to your Lordship though you may laugh at me that I was a little afraid of the Thunder but I hope you will pardon me as I think nothing can be so awful...") to after her marriage in 1816. The early letters are dutiful missives to her tutor during his absences, informing him of news at court and her continuing education ("...We have begun the Iliad & tho' it is very fine, I confess I still prefer the Odyssey..."), while in one touching letter the young girl consoles the Bishop on the loss of his mother: "She was of such an age indeed as made it probable that melancholy event would soon happen: & I dare say you were prepared for it: but it is a sad thing at any time to part from those we love tenderly & dearly". Later letters refer to the tense relationship between Charlotte and her father the Prince Regent, and also to her marriage to Prince Leopold. She writes of her boredom and isolation after breaking off her engagement to Prince William of Orange, while expressing her hope that Leopold would soon be in the country as her fiancé. In the first letter following her marriage she cheerfully tells Fisher about her new life ("...The Prince is not yet a sufficient Master of English to be able to write it ... I am obliged to act betimes as his secretary...")

Fisher's longest-standing relationship was with Prince Edward. In the earliest letter in the collection, 3 May 1789, Edward writes of his appointment to the Royal Fusiliers, the King's recent recovery ("...You can easily conceive our fears, and our grief during the time of his most alarming Illness...") and of his desire to return to Britain. In later years he writes amiable letters and is closely involved in Fisher's work for Princess Charlotte, as in October 1808 he arranges "to have an hour's quiet talk with you upon the important subject which indeed must press upon your mind", this no doubt being the ill feeling between his student's parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales. 

The most revealing letters were written around the time of Prince Edward's unexpected death in January 1820, when Fisher received letters from Augusta Sophia, Mary, and Sophia. They all speak of the close relationship between Fisher and Edward (Sophia writes that "Your affection for our dearest Edward was ever like the tender Attachment of a Father to a child"), and their concern for his widow and "her darling Child" (the future Queen Victoria). Mary writes to Fisher as one who knows  "of poor Edward's private affairs & the many painfull things that have happened within the last few years," especially a breach with the Prince Regent, and hopes that Edward's death will bring the remaining siblings closer together. 

On 19 February 1820 Fisher received a letter from Sophia reporting an "interesting and affecting" meeting with some of those closest to Edward - the subject of which, although not specified, was undoubtedly edward's long-term mistress madame st laurent, whom he had abandoned at his marriage. Sophia tells Fisher that, on his death-bed, the prince had been "anxious the Circumstance I mentioned to You the other day should be settled immediately"; this presumably refers to the discovery among Edward's private papers of a written promise of a large payment to secure Madame St Laurent's future (see Mollie Gillen, The Prince and His Lady, 1970, p.254). She continues that, in respect of her dead brother's wishes, she has agreed to "deliver up the papers & to do them honor". She ends this delicate letter with a request: "pray destroy this letter".