A reference to George Canning (1770-1827), who had resigned as President of the Board of Control in 1820, because of his sympathies for Queen Caroline and the tensions this generated with George IV. In 1821-2 the Prime Minister, Lord Liverpool (1770–1828), made several attempts to secure him a place in his cabinet but met with George IV’s refusal. Following the suicide of Castlereagh (1769–1822) while foreign secretary, the King was eventually brought round to agree to Canning as a replacement.

See DNB and The Times, 17 September 1822.