Faraday to Prince of Wales   5 January 18631

Royal Institution | 5th January 1863

To His Royal Highness | The Prince of Wales.

May it please Your Royal Highness,

The President2, Secretary3, & Managers, remembering the great grace which was done to the body, when the late Vice Patron H.R.H. the Prince Consort, with yourself & the Prince your Brother4, favoured our lectures with Your presence5, have requested me to express the hope they entertain, that Your R.H. will allow of Your election into the position then filled by Your admirable & much loved Father. It is because I had the honor of speaking at that time in your presence, that the authorities here think I may not be unacceptable, as the Channel though which their earnest desire may be known. Our most honoured Queen is our Patron; and that we may have Your R.H. as her and our Vice Patron is the most earnest wish of our hearts. Remembering the past we hope for this great grace for the future. With the deepest feelings of respect, I venture to sign myself6,

Your R.H. faithful & true Servant | M. Faraday

1
This letter is black-edged due to the death of Margaret Barnard, see letter 4236.
2
The Duke of Northumberland.
3
Henry Bence Jones.
4
Prince Alfred (1844–1900, ODNB). Second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
5
Both princes attended Faraday’s 1855-6 Christmas Lectures on the ‘Distinctive Properties of Common Metals’. See Prince of Wales to Faraday, 16 January 1856 and Prince Alfred to Faraday, 16 January 1856, letters 3071 and 3072, volume 5.
6
This letter was copied into RI MM, 12 January 1863, 11: 455-6.

Please cite as “Faraday4284,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday4284