Canning's health had been declining since the beginning of 1827, and on 8 August he died.Beales, Derek, "Canning, George (1770–1827)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, January 2008, Retrieved 13 March 2012 A prominent Whig commented, "God has declared against us. He is manifestly for the tories, and I fear the king also, which is much worse."Aspinall, A. "The Coalition Ministries of 1827 (Continued)", The English Historical Review, Vol. 42, No. 168 (October 1927), pp. 533–559 The King, however, though he had long inclined to favour Tories over Whigs, was still angry at the refusal of Wellington and Peel to serve in Canning's cabinet. A widespread expectation (possibly shared by Wellington himself) that the King would send for Wellington was confounded. On the day of Canning's death Goderich and the Home Secretary, William Sturges Bourne, were summoned to Windsor Castle, where the King announced his intention of appointing Goderich to the premiership.
