Be it known unto all men by these presents, that whereas her most sacred majesty Victoria, by the grace of God, queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, has judged it proper to announce her intention of contracting a marriage with his serene highness the prince Albert Francis Augustus Charles Emmanuel, of Saxe Coburg Gotha, second son of his serene highness the reigning duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha; in order therefore to treat, conclude, and confirm the articles of the said marriage, her said majesty, and their said serene highnesses, have named and authorized as their plenipotentiaries, that is to say

[Here follow the names of the archbishop of Canterbury, the lord chancellor, lords Lansdowne, Normanby, John Russell, Palmerston, and Melbourne, and the chancellor of the exchequer, on the part of her majesty; and baron Stockmar on the part of the reigning duke and prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.]

Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles :

Art. 1. It is concluded and

agreed that the marriage between her majesty the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and his serene highness the prince Albert Francis Augus tus Charles Emmanuel, of SaxeCoburg-Gotha, shall be solemnized in person, in that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Great Britain, according to the due tenour of the laws of England, and the rites and ceremonies of the church of England, as soon as the same may conveniently be done.

2. Her majesty the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland engages to secure to his serene highness the prince Albert Francis Augustus Charles Emmanuel of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the annual sum of 30,000l. sterling during his life, whether he shall survive her majesty or not; the said annual sum to be paid to his serene highness quarterly, and the first payment at the above annual rate, to be made on the 5th day of April, 1840.

It is further agreed and declared, that out of the said annuity the prince shall defray his own personal expences and the charge of his own establishment. And it is moreover understood and agreed, that the prince shall not claim any

other rights of property in respect of his being consort of her majesty the queen.

The sons or daughters of the said marriage shall be brought up according to the laws of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in that respect, and no children of this marriage shall be allowed to marry without the consent of her majesty the queen, or of the king or queen of the said United Kingdom for the time being.

4. The present treaty shall be ratified by her Britannic majesty on the one part, and by their serene highnesses the reigning duke and the prince Albert Francis Augustus Charles Emmanuel of Saxe Coburg Gotha, on the other; and the ratifications shall be exchanged at London within three weeks from the date hereof.

In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the same, and have affixed thereto the seals of their arms.

Done at London, the 7th day of February, in the year of our Lord

1840.

deep sense your majesty feels of duty to your people, rendered it incumbent upon your majesty to recommend to both houses of parliament to consider contingencies which may hereafter take place, and to make such provision as will, in any event, secure the exercise of royal authority; and that your majesty would be prepared to concur with the two houses of parliament in those measures which may appear best calculated to maintain unimpaired the power and dignity of the crown, and thereby to strengthen the securities which protect the rights and liberties of your people; and whereas, with the most cordial sense of duty and gratitude to your majesty for the tender concern and regard so uniformly and now more especially demonstrated for the happiness of your people and the security of their rights and liberties, we have taken this most important business into our consideration, and being thoroughly convinced of the wisdom and expediency of what your majesty has thought fit to recommend, we are firmly and zealously determined to contribute every thing in our power to maintain unimpaired the power and dignity of the crown, and to strengthen the securities which protect the rights and liberties of the people. We, therefore, your majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in parliament assembled, do most humbly beseech your majesty that it may be enacted, &c.

Clause 1. That if at the demise of her present majesty (whom God long preserve) there shall be issue of her said majesty who shall become and be king or queen of this realm whilst under the age of

eighteen years, his royal highness prince Albert, the consort of her said majesty, shall be the guardian, and shall have the care, tuition, and education of such issue, until such issue shall attain the age of eighteen years, and shall till such age have the disposition, ordering, and management, of all matters and things relating thereto; and his said royal highness prince Albert shall, until such issue of her said majesty shall attain the age of eighteen years, and no longer, have full power and authority, in the name of such issue, and in his or her stead, and under the style and title of regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to exercise and administer, according to the laws and constitution thereof, the royal power and government of this realm, and all the dominions, countries, and territories to the crown thereof belonging, and use and exercise and per form all prerogatives, authorities, and acts of government and administration of government which belong to the king or queen of this realm to use, execute, and perform, according to the laws thereof, but in such manner and subject to such conditions, restrictions, limitations, and regulations, as are hereinafter for that purpose specified, mentioned, and contained.

Clause 2. That all acts of royal power, prerogative, government, government, and administration of government, of what nature or kind soever, which shall be done or executed during the regency established by this act, otherwise than by and with the consent of and authority of the said regent, in the manner and according to the direction of this act set forth and prescribed, shall be absolutely null and void to all intents and purposes.

Clause 3. That the regent, before he shall act or enter upon his said office of regent, shall take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy in the form prescribed and required by an act passed in the first year of the reign of king William and queen Mary, entitled, "An act for abrogating the oaths of supremacy and allegiance, and appointing other oaths," and shall also take the oath of abjuration in such manner and form as is set down and prescribed in an act passed in the sixth year of the reign of king George the Third, entitled, "An act for altering the oath of abjuration and the assurance, and for amending so much of an act of the seventh year of her late majesty queen Anne, entitled, "An act for the improvement of the union of the two kingdoms," and after the time therein limited requires the delivery of certain lists and copies therein mentioned to persons indicted of high treason or misprision of treason;" as also the following oaths; that is to say

Oaths-"I do solemnly promise and swear that I will truly and faithfully execute the office of regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, according to an act of parliament made in the fourth year of her majesty queen Victoria, entitled, "An act to provide for the administration of the government in case the crown should descend to any issue of her majesty whilst such issue shall be under the age of eighteen years, and for the care and guardianship of such issue;" and that I will administer the government of this realm, and of all the dominions thereunto belonging, according to the laws, customs, and statutes thereof, and will in all