Miss [Mary] Berry, who is all Fox and Opposition, says that it is a very common story among the fashionable young men in the House of Commons that as the King was going to open the session last winter, he said to the persons in the state coach with him, “I shall surprise the two Houses by the beginning of my Address to them. I mean to say, ‘My Lords and Peacocks’” The attendants were confounded. Some of them ventured to say, “Surely your Majesty would not use that expression.” “Yes, but I shall; I shall certainly say ‘My Lords and Peacocks.’” He did not, however, and I do not believe the story. It was long before his illness was declared. There may, however, have been some royal joke on which this foolish invention was embroidered. She says it had become a common saying, when any fashionable young member was going to the House, to say, “I am going to see what the Peacocks are doing.”
Called at Yair, and returned in a thunderstorm. Lord Melville assured Sir W. that it was quite true the poor late King could not be prevailed on the last time he addressed the House of Lords, to begin his speech but with, " My Lords and Peacocks," and whenever he was about to repeat it, those who were aware of what was coming made all the noise they could to drown the sound.
The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 3 "On old English Poetical Facetiae" p.482 May 1835 — first appearance in print; anonymously written by John Payne Collier (1789–1883);[1] given his birthdate and status as a forger, the likelihood that he was really present is small.
Every body knows that King's speeches to the Members of both Houses began invariably—“My Lords and Gentlemen; ” but George III., not being quite in possession of his senses, and looking round at the “plumed troops” of females by which he was surrounded, commenced “My Lords and Peacocks,” and then unconscious of his error, proceeded to advert to the state of public affairs. We cannot call to mind the year when this happened, but we can vouch for the truth of the story, inasmuch as we were present.
My Lords and Peacocks. AUCKLAND STAR, VOLUME XXI, ISSUE 4163, 27 OCTOBER 1883 (reprint from Leisure Hour):
One of the earliest indications of the approaching mental aberration of George III. was his declared intention of beginning his speech from the throne with "My lords and peacocks." Against all remonstrance, he persisted in his purpose, but the crisis came before the day of opening Parliament. No one could understand the phrase till Professor De Morgan, long after, gave a happy conjecture in a letter to Sir John Herschel, who had heard of the story at the time. The old king knew Shakspere well. In "Hamlet" there are several places in which Hamlet seems on the very point either of disclosing his step-father's villainy or giving him some reproach, but breaks off and substitutes something. In one case, where "ass" is clearly coming, he makes it "peacock:"—
"For thou dost know, O Damon, dear,
This realm dismantled was
Of Jove himself; and now reigns here
A very, very (ass) peacock."
Now George III. had old score recollections of the House of Commons. I suspect that when his mind was in his wanderings he determined to be revenged, and to say, "My Lords and Asses," and he remembered and imitated Hamlet's substitute.
… There he was sitting on the Throne with his King’s Crown on … and held his speech written out for him, just what he had to say. But, oh dear, he strode up and made a bow and began ‘My Lords and Peacocks’.
This “Cock-eagle’s stone” of Mr. Bartlett brings to mind a ludicrously pathetic incident which occurred when our unfortunate monarch, poor George III. (“ Farmer George,” as people then styled him,) first showed indications of mental infirmity. The lamentably grotesque occasion was when he addressed the assembled Houses of Parliament as “My Lords, and turkey-cocks!” Manifestly his mind was already confusing kingly duties with the pastimes of his poultry yard. Parliament was straightway prorogued till November 1st, 1810; but the demented Sovereign was not then in a fit condition to perform any royal act. Under the circumstances Parliament met without being summoned by their king; so that it devolved upon the Speaker to take the Chair of Presidency on that memorable occasion.
For some time he had been showing signs of growing eccentricity ; his attendants had only with difficulty prevented him from opening Parliament with the words, “ My Lords and Peacocks
I admit that the London Times contains a certain number of nonsense letters such as when I was first in England, on whether to George III, in the onset of one of his fits, which it now appears were not quite insanity, addressed the Opening of Parliament as, “My Lords and Peacocks”, or, “My Lords and Turkey Cocks”
When he began the 1811 King's Speech in parliament with: "My Lords and Peacocks" there was no more hiding the fact that he was daft, so they locked him up in a sealed wing in Windsor Palace where he gibbered quite contentedly for many a long year.
