South Wales Daily News

I THE PROCESSION, ^EPAIiTUIlE FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE. fhe day dawned cold and somewhat dull, but as it grew ?,' r the sun shone out and the crisp bracing air revived he thousands of workmen who had been toiling all night 1!1 Putting a finishing touch to the decorations on the route> an;l cheered the spirits of the crowds already streets. Immense masses of -people assembled in p,'6 Jv'.all, and soon after eleven o'clock -a .Field-Officer's °f Household Cavalry, with a standard, arrived at r Uckingham Palace, to accompany Her Majesty to and ?aill's- The escort was preceded by an advanced f 1111.1"(1 of fifty men of the 10th Poyal Hussars, and followed y a rear guard of the same strength, of the 12th Hoyal nW°?rr A Guard of He*)our of the loot Guards com- }.e„- om the Queen's Guard at St. James's, of one tin«m<cnta* caPtain, two subalterns, and the usual propor wit' n°n-coinniissioned officers and 100 rank and file, 16 Queen's colour and band, also inarched into the rpj wgle soon after. in Mile °.ai'r*aSes from the Hoyal mews, in Pimlico, came their half-past eleven, and as they were nearly all of tW7>°Pen> the public rightly came to the conclusion that fort-llSerL h'"iCl determined to trust to her wonted good W"1? 3,8 re8'ards the weather. The number of State octluen, coachmen, aud postilions was greatly in excess of those brought into requisition on any previous occasion since the Queen's accession to the5throne, and although the use of the antiquated State Soach, usually drawn by eight cream-coloured horses, was dispensed with, the equipages were distinguished by rare magnificence, and the horses were the very best to be found in the studs of her Majesty and the Prince of Wales. Precisely at a quarter before twelve, the band struck up "God save the Queen," and the Guard presented arms. The simultaneous hauling down of the royal stan- dard, which had been floating from the staff immediately over the Central entrance, was a signal to the crowd that the eorfcdge was about 'to come forth. Preceded by a squadron of the First Life Guards, and half-a-dozen carra,gescontaining non-official ladies and gentlemen, who had somehow or other managed not to get clear of the palace-yard before the Queen set out, the procession emerged from the gate, close to which the Marble Arch once stood, in the following order A Squadton of Cavalry. The Speaker, of the House of Commons and Suite. Troops of Cavalry. The Lord Chancellor and Suite. Troops of Hussars. His Royal Highness the Duke of-Cambridge (attended by an Escort). FIRST CARRIAGE.—The Gentleman in Waiting to his Royal High- ness the Prince Leopold, the Equerry in Waiting to his Royal Highness the Prince Arthur, the Equerry in Waiting to his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, the Silver Stick in Waiting. Sscosb CARRIAGE.—The Field Officer in Brigade Waiting, the Equerry in Waiting to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Groom in Waiting to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Equerry in Waiting. THIRD CARRIAGE.-The Groom in Waiting, the Clerk Marshal, the Master of the Household, the Private Secretary to the Queen. FOURTH CARRIAGE.—The Woman of the Bedchamber in Waiting to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, Maid of Honour in AVaiting, Maid of Honour in Waiting, the Comptroller and Trea- surer to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. FIFTH CARRIAGE.—The Keeper of her Majesty's Privy Purse, the Chamberlain to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, the Bedchamber Woman and Lady Superintendent, the (Second) Lady of the Bedchamber. SIXTH CARRIAGE.—The Lord in Waiting to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the Lord in Waiting, the Lady of the Bed- chamber to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, the Lady of the Bedchamber. SEVENTH CARRIAGE.—The Gold Stick in Waiting, the Lord Cham- berlain, the Lord Steward, the Mistress of the Robes. EIGHTH CARRIAGE.—The Master of the Horse, his Royal Highness Prince George of Wales, his Royal Highness the Prince Leopold, his Royal Highness the Prince Arthur, his Royal 'Highness the. Duke of Edinburgh. NINTH CARRIAGE.—His Royal Highuess the Prince Albert Victor of Wales, her Royal Highness the Princess Beatrice, her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.. THE QUEEN. Her Majesty was followed by a Squadron of Cavalry. The Queen was dressed in blade velvet trimmed with ermine, the Prince of Wales wore a General's uniform, the Prin- cess of Wales dark blue velvet, the Princess Beatrice a lavender silk, and Prince Albert Victor a dark blue dress. As soon as the Royal carriages had passed the outer gate in the palisade, the populace set up loud and deafening cheers, which the Queen and Prince severally acknow- ledged with their wonted courtesy. It was remarked that her Majesty looked wonderfully well, and that few traces remained of the severe illness from which the Prince has so providentially recovered. THE GREEN PARK. As the procession passed slowly along the outside of the Green-park, at a little more tha,n a walking pace, the School Children assembled there, to the number at 30,000, sung the National Anthem and the following Thanksgiving Hymn, under the direction and superinten- of Mr. G. W. M,-trtiii. Sovereign Ruler of the nations Glorious, merciful, and jWJt Through successive' generations Our defence and hope and trust! At Thy throne we bend the knee Thou hast our Deliv'rer been Gratefully we worship Thee, For Thy goodness to our Queen. When in sadness bowed Before Thee, Thou didst hear the nation's cry Joyfully we now adore Thee, Thee, to help and succour nigh. In the anguish of distress We have Thy compassion seen, Thee, with thankful hearts, we bless, For Thy gooftness to our Queen. On the verge of, fatal sickness, England's princely heir laid low Thou didst give him strength in weakness, Bless the means, and health bestow., Therefore songs to Thee we raise, Thee, Who hast our refuge been Thee, for Thy great goodness praise/ To our Prince and to our Queen The effect was electric, and the Queen was evidently much touched by this interesting episode in the rejoicings of the day. Among the guests present .at, the palace, at the north-east front of which the children were placed, was the Emperor of the French and the Prince Imperial, who occupied one of the numerous balconies which at that part of the building overlook the park. In addition to the children, all of whom were attired in holiday clothes as became Sunday-school scholars destined to "sing before the Queen," thousands of people were assembled, and we fear the trees will, in some instances, be found to have suffered greatly at the hands of inconsiderate climbers. THE MALL. The whole of the seats under the trees were occupied by enthusiastic sight-seers, who bad taken up th eir places from an early hour in the morning, and, in soma instances, paid substitutes to stand out in the cold, until the hour ar- rived at which the procession was to pass. As her Ma- festy turned into the opening between Stafford House, the residence of the Duke of Sutherland, and Marl- borough House, the residence of her illustrious son, the cheers from the crowd reaching across the Mall were immense. All the windows of these splendid mansions were thronged, as were those of the Earl of Ellesmere's, opposite the turning from Pall-mall into the Stable-yard, as this quarter—one of the wealthiest and best in London —is uneuphoniously called. PALL MALL. St. James's Palace, dingy enough with its dirty red- brick front, under ordinary circumstances, was also alive with spectators, while the scene in Pall Mall was simply indescribable Although not characterised by lavish decoration, the magnificence of the edifices in this splendid street, illuminated by thousands of smiling faces, gave to this via sacra of aristocratic life a peculiar charm. Galleries were erected and flags displayed, and devices distributed on the fronts of the whole of them, from the Oxford and Cambridge to the United Service on the eastern side of Waterloo Place. The Carlton, with its costly front richly adorned with polished granite, the Junior Carlton, on the opposite side, scarcely less pretend- ing, the chaste Reform, and the unique Athenaeum, all were filled with fashionable gatherings on the basement, and crowded by domestics on the parapet and roof. The progress of the procession through this thoroughfare of palaces, was signalised by an ovation of loyalty. This portion of the route was lined by the 3rd Battalion of Grenadier Guards. At the junction where Waterloo- place intersects Pall Mall, and close to the Guards' monu- ment, the crowd was so dense as to occasion a slight delay but the incident was compensated for by the splendour of the scene. On the summit of the Duke of York's column, several persons had found a coign of vantage, while on the rising ground, leading up towards Regent-street, the spectators had # assembled in immense force, occupying the roofs of vehicles, as well as the windows and parapets of houses. This portion of the road was kept by the Royal Artillery, detached for this special service, and the Royal Marine Artillery. TRAFALGAR SQUARE. The finest site in Europe" was probably never so thronged since the day it was formed; and the Blue Jackets^ who, with the Marine Artillery, kept the line, had their patience and temper taxed to an inordinate degree. ihe spectacle was superb, and the wide area presented literally a sea of faces." The long facade of the Gallery, the front of St.. Martin's Church, Northum- berland House, with its celebrated Lion, DrummondVi Bank at one corner and Morley's Hotel at another, the Nelson Monument, the masonry surrounding the foun- tains, the elegant pedestal on which the statue of Charles the First stands, and, indeed, every available inch of space held a loyal subject and a, greedy spectator of the pomp and show of state. Probably, at no part of the route was the crowd seen to greater advantage, or were the plaudits which rent the air more vociferous. THE STRAND. At West Strand the real spectacle of the procession may be said to have commenced in its full magnificence. The American Banking House of Bowles Brothers was fitted out with a perfect maze of Stars and Stripes, which formed the commencement of a very wilderness of gags. Looking eastwards you saw Sags everywhere.' From every window, parapet, and roof there were flags, banners, pen- nants, streamers, and floral garlands looped up from house to house, and window to window. Before the arrival of the Queen at this point, the streets had been newly gra- velled, in order to ensure a footing for the horses. Nor was this precaution m vain, for the throng was so dense that the cavalry had the greatest difficulty in keeping line, assisted though they were by the Marine Artillery, the Royal Artillery, and. the police. It was here proved beyond all question that no such assemblages had ever overflowed the streets of London before, and the "oldest inhabitant" got quite bewildered with astonishment as he gazed upon the surging throng. The grand stand at St. Martin's Church, which stretched along the north side of Duncannon-street, was bright and gay, and as the proceeds are to be applied to charitable uses, it is grati- fying to know that the seats were filled. The effect of the tastefully decorated Stands in the fore-front of the courtyard of Charing-cross Stand was good, and the apex of the Eleanor cross was made bright with bannerets. The general effect of the vista was unquestionably fine. The poles lashed to the lamp-posts, with their swallow-tailed pennons floating from the trucks, and the bunches of bannerets projecting from the scutcheoas half-mast high, looked very well collectively, spite of the dingy light blue they are painted, the lack of variety in the patterns of the Scntcheons, and the shabbiness of the trucks. But the flash of, colour down and over the long thoroughfare was very striking nor could any one who saw it agree with the dictum that flags suspended over a street spoil the decorative effect. An avenue is not spoiled by the interlacing of the boughs overhead, nor would it improve the aisle of a, cathedral to demolish the arched roof and throw it open to the heavens. In the decorations in the Strand as elsewhere, the use of ever- greens, which yield, when judiciously used, an unequalled effect, was somewhat sparse, but the scarlet cloth and the dresses of the ladies gave brilliancy to the scene. Dent, the chronometer maker, made a good display. The Adelphi Theatre showed a great medallion portrait of a lady and gentleman surrounded by a mass (of tissue paper, which, illuminated, had a good effect. One of the chief ornaments of the Strand was the house, No 108. consisting of mottoes in pretty artificial flowers in a white ground. Our lack of uniformity, and our seeming inability to utilise for decorative purposes the bold corners of streets, was strikingly illustrated at the point where Wellington-street crosses the Strand. Some taste in design and liberality in execution might have made this point one of the most effective in the route, but as it was, three of the corners were absolutely bare, and only the Field office had made any use of its opportunities. The Gaiety was the reverse of gay, and indeed none of the theatres on the track gave tokens of much enterprise in the embellishment way. From St. Clement's Dane churchyard to Teirfple Bar the brightness of the route increased, thanks mainly to the extremely tasteful manner in which the huge stand erected on the verge of the site of the Law Courts was dec irated. On the opposite side of the street was the most effective and artistic piece of decoration along the whole line. We refer to that in front of the branch of the London and Westminster Bank, where the three tiers of seats were faced with crimson very chastely picked out in gold, having in the main fagade well executed effigies in alto relievo of the Queen, Prince, and Princess, Among- the buildings decorated were Exeter Hall, Haxell's Hotel, Somerset House, and the entrance to King's College. At St. Mary's church the galleries Were large and filled with spectators, whose money will, it is said, go to augment the charities of the parish. At St. Clement's Danes the galleries were also spacious, and the ornamentation of the Illustrated News and Graphic offices was signalised by excellent taste. At this point Si>»Hig^»w«&were thrown into the Queen's carriage, and the expressions of loyalty remained undi- minished. TEMPLE BAR.—RECEPTION OF THE QUEEN BY THE LORD MAYOR. Temple Bar, with its newly-polished gates, golden- headed nails, gilt statues, and beautiful adornments, was metamorphosed into a most attractive structure, and any proposal to remove it for the next few days would be scouted even by Mr. Bright, conscious as he is of the difficulty of driving two omnibuses abreast through that civic portal. About 12.30, the gates supposed to be closed, and the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and the Reception Com- mittee lying in wait, hard by, within the precincts of the Temple, a herald approached accompanied bya trumpeter of the Life Guards. Pausing before the bar, the cortege being nearly as far off as St. Clement's Church in. the rear, he demanded admission for Her Majesty Evidently anticipating some such summons, the Lord Mayor, after having conferred with the Sheriffs upon the propriety of making the concession, acceded to the request, and the gates being thrown open, the procession defiled through the ancient archway. When the Queen's carriage reached the gate, its progress Was arrested, and the Lord Mayor dutifully rendered up the keys, and tendered the pearl- adorned sword of civic state to the Queen, which the sovereign most graciously restored to the representative of the citizens. Her Majesty and the Prince availed them- selves of the opportunity to express their delight and deep sense of the gratifying reception accorded to them, The- Lord Mayor, six aldermen, and eight members ,of the Common Council, then mounted led horses, and riding before the Queen's carriage, led the way towards St. Paul's. At this point the civic procession, consisting of the State equipages of the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Alder- men, the representatives of various companies, with flags, banners, and other insignia, fell into line, under the direc- tions of the Upper and Under City Marshals. FLEET-STREET. Passing along Fleet-street, the welkin rang with plaudits, and the popiflace pressed so closely around Her Majesty's carriage, as to make it at one time probable thttta contTc tcmps similar to that which occurred when Princess Alexandra stopped at the Mansion House on the day of her entry into London would take place. Here, also a Bible was presented by the Fleet-street Committee to the Princess for the use of her son Albert Victor. and e graciously received. To describe Fleet-street with its myriad banners, its red hangings carried the whole length, from Temple Bar, with its glowing mottoes to Farringdon- street, and Bridge-street, where the magnificent gothic arch spanned the thoroughfare, would tax the ablest word- painter in existence, and exhaust both space and time- Crystal plumes were upon the gas-l'amps, and flags enough for all the armies of the world were hung upon the walls and masts. The decorations had sprung into being as by the enchanter's wand. Overhead there was a sky of waving flags affixed to the ropes which stretched across the street. Many of the windows of the houses were taken out, and the seats in every one of them were occu- pied to overflowing. The walls of the houses were gay with cloth and bunting, and beneath and between all this there streamed the opposing currents of the ever-moving crowd. Such happiness in so many human faces was a touching sight, and though the exclamations of delight which rose on all sides, and which seemed particularly called forth by the glowing glories of the Corporation arch, may have savoured now of the vulgar and now of the profane, they were the real honest expressions of spontaneous surprise and delight. Those who say the British people do not love shows mistake them sadly, and no less mistaken are they who would abolish them as at issue with civilisation. As the procession passed St. Bride's Church, the bells rang out a mighty peal, and from the crowds a deafening roar arose of loyal applause. The duty at the 2nd battalion of the 23rd Fusiliers ex- tended no further than the boundary of the City, and within its confines the "V olunteers were represented by the ancient and honourable the Artillery Company. A body of regulars, however, was stationed in a portion of Fleet-street, below Chancery-lane. LUDGATE HILL. Of course the Gothic arch, resplendent with gold, gay with flags, rich with allegorical devices, ornate in delicate carving, was the cynosure of all eyes. Never before was anything of the kind conceived in better taste, or executed with greater skill. Hiding the railway bridge, it added to the effect of the decoration, and as Ludgate-hill was virtually covered in, the splendour of the scene, adorned as the houses were with crimson velvet, scarlet cloth, and various devices, the streets lined with Venetian poles from which gonfalons depended the very lamps being decorated,—the crowning glory of the whole of the alfresco sjieetacle was to be witnessed here. What boots it to say that Baron Rothschild and his friends filled the first-floor of Messrs. Everington's great shop ? That the Scots Fusilier Guards and the House- hold Cavalry kept the line that Blue Jackets mus- tered in force that the Royal Standard was,hoisted above the dome of the Cathedral as the Queen alighted; that the churchyard was filled with troops that acclama- tions rent the air; and that her Majesty and the Prince were accompanied by the congratulations of thou- ands as they passed into the stately temple to return thanks to God ? We know and feel all these things, they cannot be described, and our hasty sketch of the progress of the procession, thus far, must suffice, for neither tide, nor time, nor trains will wait to take our journal into the distant parts of Wales, to its thousands of expectant" readers. ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL. From the streets to the Cathedral w: s a sort of north- west passage." There was a means of accomplishing it; but that had to be discovered, and when discovered was west passage." There was a means of accomplishing it; but that had to be discovered, and when discovered was not easy to follow. The proverb which gives the dainty to the early-rising bird, was exemplified here, for it was only those who arrived at Paul's Chain before May-Fair generally takes breakfast, who succeeded in getting in with- out discomfort or unshorn of glory. In the latter respect some terrible suffering was witnessedgentlemen who had set out to walk, and who had been caught in the now of the rising crowd like a boat is caught in whirling Corry- vrechan, presented themselves soiled, creased and wrinkled—one minus a coat tail, which he had left upon e Bennett's hill close by, a memorial of his final struggle for extrication. Despite the peril of the road, upwards of 5,000 of the ticket holders arrived a-foot, and their entry was greatly facilitated by the admirable police arrangements. A. detachment of Cavalry was stationed near the princi- pal entrance, and at some distance on each side, in the open space near Queen Anne's ugly monument, a body of men belonging to the Royal Navy was posted as a guard of honour. Carriages, ineluding every description of vehicle, except that of the undertaker and the coster- monger, deposited many thousands more. Between eight, the hour the early carriages commenced to set down, and eleven, when the supply ceased, nearly 4,000 of them—twelve miles of carriages in a direct line—had discharged their living contents at one of the two large platforms each side of the Cathedral, or at a little dis- tance from there. Whatever risks or trouble had been undergone, an el- trance to the noble fane was ample recompense for all. The whole interior, at an early hour, was a' glare of red, for red baize covered the seats and chairs and wood- work-veils of the glorious monuments. But as the thou- sands poured in, new and gayer colours infused life and variety. In the nave and north aisle the seats could be seen rising tier upon tier, and as they slowly filled, Court costumes and bright coloured dresses lit up the perspective into brilliancy. Each of the bays of the nave was fitted with ascending .galleries-, and as they filled, they added fresh animation to the scene. Farther west, where the light glancing through the magnificent stained glass windows, sent a flood of pink and carmine rolling in the air, there were two more galleries, and their occupants, looking in the distance like a mass of muslin, ribbons, and flowers, relieved by a few dark coats and brilliant uniforms, filled up the vista with charming completeness. The whole of the nave and side aisles were given up to the public, except that taken up by the platform stretching from the Royal pew beneath the dome to the Royal reception-room. This platform was railed in by silken cords, carried through elegantly- gilt standards, and was covered with a handsome crimson carpet of mediaeval design, and figured with the Rose of England- From soon after eight in the morning until eleven the general public poured into the church in streams. Dean Stanley arrived early, followed by a few of the judges. At half-past ten the Yeomen of the Guard entered. A good deal of confusion was caused at first in regard to the seats, although the directions were clear enough to remove all difficulty. Soon after eleven what may be termed the general congregation had arrived, and then and until twelve commenced the influx of the special members of the public—those who, as pillars of the State, formed an integral party of the State spectacle. Those peers and peer- esses who came up in carriages were the first to represent the order of the nobility, but they were few compared with the number who came by boat from the House of Lords. The seats set apart for peers presented a bril- liant appearance of grand robes, and glittering orders. Many of the "faithful Commons" dropped in one by one before eleven; but it was a,fter that hour before the majority who had also come by steamboat, was seated. The people's representa- tives could not compare with the Lords for effect. The splendour of the Commons was dimmed and lessened by comparison with the sitters in "another place." An unpleasing uniformity of costume character- ised them, though it was much relieved by the dresses of their companions, who, whether wives, daughters, or sisters, were certainly arrayed in all the newest modes and brightest hues' The galleries of the aisles on either side of the Royal pew Were given up to the foreign ministers and diplomatic corps. The ambassadors Were strongly represented, and their gor- geous uniforms contributed a picturesque splendour to the gallery, which far eclipsed the more sober display made by the robed and ermined Judges who sat on the other side of the dome. Further away from the grand eentre were seated the High Sheriffs of counties, and the Mayors of the United Kingdom, the latter being distin- guished by an agreeable diversity of dress, varying from a load of state trappings to a simple gold chain and badge, or the still simpler ordinary dress of an English gentle- man. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, with certain other civic dignitaries, were fortunately placed. They were seen and could see, but some of the others were less. favourably situated, and had a wide- field for the exercise of their imaginations. Distinguished foreigners—the brilliant Frenchman, whose essays have won him admirers throughout Ear ope—the solid German, whose new philosophy is now agitating the schools--the grave Spaniard, one of the few great writers in the country of Cervantes—sat next, side by side, in fact, with the members of our own learned bodies—our greatest geologist, our leading astronomer, our most patient and trustworthy historian. With representati veN on conformists —among whom were many well-known faces—were the re- turned Indians and Ex-Colonists-the bronzed features of the former telling of long years spent beneath a tropical sun. Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Disraeli sat near the Royal pew. Their entrance excited considerable attention, as did also Sir Charles Dilke. though the interest was of another kind. Curiosity and interest were alike directed to the body of twenty-five working men who with their wives were seated, dressed in their best, in a prominent gallery., Ihrer in the northern corner were the members of the Metrspolitan Board of Works. Above, on the southern gallery, were the London School Board; but there were gaps in their ranks we were sorry to see—Lord Lawrence, Huxley, and Barry. On the basement, in the nave, the Army and Navy representatives occupied good places; hut the Clergy, of whom there was the largest assembly probably ever seen before at one time, had the best seats, the whole of the choir being reserved to them. The fine old organ, known as "Father Smith," hav been subject to a further change of place, and now, divided into two parts, occupied each side 6f the em- trance to the choir, displacing the statues of Nelson and Corn- wallis. From this organ right away to the eastern window, stretched an assembly of surpliced clergymen, the space occupied by the choir-80me 250 strong-only excepted. As noon drew near, and the seats filled, and the well- known faces of leading men were seen, the crowded Cathedral, though the empty chairs showed it lacked its central attraction, was a grand and impressive sight—the sight of one lifetime. Within its walls there have been grand ceremonies and State pageants before, but never one so imposing as this. There had gathered the foremost statesmen, the bravest soldiers, the greatest diplomatists of the age. There was the representative nobility of our ancient land and the representative wisdom of an enlightened people. The ripest learning, the sharpest wit, and the most refined courtesy were seated in that choir, in front of which the Primate—himself the essence of learning, wit, and courtesy—would presently seat himself. Typical of English society, here was peer and there was the man of the people—there was the noble whose lineage stretched backwards to the Norman, and here the chosen of his fellow-burgesses, the provincial Mayor—all, statesmen and warriors, priest and peer, nearly 15,000 persons, in- spired by a common feeling and united by mutual sym- pathy, gathered together to kneel in thanksgiving with a Royal mother and a restored son. It is now half-past twelve, and expectancy makes the vast congregation restless. Peers and faithful Commons, the clergy in the choir, and the public in the distant nave know that .their time of waiting and watching is coming to an-end. By and by, above the hum of conversation and rustling of silks, like the murmuring of innumer- able bees," is heard a distant sound—a sound as of dis- tant thunder. A quicker rivstle of silks and an eager straining of ears seems simultaneously to go on inside, and again the sound is heard—distance mellows it to little more than an echo. Still we all know what it means. The rolling sound-wave ha,s brought hither the mighty acclamations with which a jubilant people, away on Ludgate-hill, greet their Queen and her family. It grows and becomes clearer, and everyone can tell, by the varying echoes that penetrate into the great dome area, that the procession is drawing near. 'We soon know that the Queen had come. Signs in the space below the dome indicate the immediate approach of her Majesty. The Lord Mayor, Mr. Sheriff Bennett, and Mr. Sheriff Truscott, come marching in state to their seats to the left of ^he royal pew. Eight civic dignitaries are with them—a deputation from the Reception Com- mittee of the Common Council. They sit near the Lord Mayor, but farther from Royalty. The Lord Chancellor, in his robes of office, a dignified yet kindly-looking grey- haired man, takes his seat to the right of the royal pew, looking towards the fine marble pulpit Mr. Brand, the new Speaker, the First Commoner of England, who looks as though he would like to take his wig off, steps rather shortly and briskly up, and is seated near the Lord Chancellor. Ministers of State seat themselves around the same common centre. There is a stir, and people rise, in order to see what is going on in the choir. It is the entrance of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Primate came in at the north-east corner of the choir, near Cannon-street. He enters the choir at the extreme east, and comes through the centre of the choir to- wards his seat near the pulpit in the dome area, He is accompanied by two chaplains instead of eight, in consequence of the limited space, and his train is borae jointly by his train-bearers and private secretary. The entrance of their Highnesses the Maharajah Du- leep Singh and the Maharanee attracted an interest no whit less than that given to the Primate. Blazing with jewels, and dressed in the richest of oriental costume, v/ith such modifications as this colder climate demands, the Maharaj ah and Maharaneg w«re .distinguished above all around them.. With them came his Imperial High- ness Higashi Fushini No..Miyaaj,ajij2 his Highness the Prince Hassan, both richly dresl and the cynosure of neighbouring eyes until other arrivals attracted the in- constant gaze. The Queen had ere this entered the vestibule, which consisted of the wholebaement of the grand portico, and had there been received by the Bishop of London and the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's. Attended by members of the Royal Household, who were in waiting, Her Majesty was conducted to the reception-room—an elegant little parlour carpetted with crimson cloth, with walls of crimped and plaited muslin upon pink ground. Esoorted by their State officers, the Prince and Princess of Wales entered the pavilion prepared for the reception of their Royal Highnesses—a room similar in design, except that the walls arepf azure blue, covered with crimped and plaited muslin. After a brief interval, Garter King at Arms ar- ranged the procession to enter the nave in the following order:- Herald. Herald. The Comptroller in the Lord Chamberlain's Department. TiJC Field Officer in Brigade Waiting. The SH ver Stick in Waiting The Gentleman in attendance on The Equerry to His Royal Highness the His Royal Hignness the Prince Lčopolcl, Duke, of Cambridge. The Equerry to The Equerry to His Royal Highness the His Royal Highness the Prince Arthur. Duke of Edinburgh. The Equerry to his Royal Highness the Prince of Was. The Equerry in Waiting. The Equerry in Waiting. Clerk Marshal. The Master of the Household. Tbe Private Secretary. The Keeper of the Privy Purse. The Comptroller and Treasurer to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.. The Ciroom of the Bedchamber to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The Groom in Waiting. The Lord of the Bedchamber to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The Lord in Waiting. The Master of the Buckhounds. The Comptroller of the The Treasurer of the Household. Household. Herald. The Gold Stick in Waiting. Herald. The Captain of the Yeomen The Captain of the Gentle- of the Guard. men-at-Anns. Gentleman Usher. Garter-King-at-Arms. Gentleman Usher. The Master of the Horse. The Lord Steward. The Vice-Chamberlain. The Lord Chamberlain. Her Royal Highness His Royal Highness The Princess of Wales. The Prince of Wales, K.G. THE QUEEN. His Royal Her Royal His Royal His Royal Highness Prince Highness the Highness the Highness Prince George Princess Duke of Edill- Albert Victor of Wales. Beatrice. burgh, K.G. of Wales. His Royal Highness the His Royal Highness the Prince Leopold, K.G. Prince Arthur, K.G. His Royal Highness the -Duke of Cambridge, K.G. The Mistress of the Robes. The Duchess of Sutherland. (Countess of Cromartie.) The Second Lady of the The Lady of the Bedchamber Bedchamber. in Waiting. The Woman of the Bedchamber and Lady Superintendent in attendance on her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice. The Maids of Honour in Waiting. The Chamberlain of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales. The Woman of the Bedchamber The Lady of the Bedchamber to to her Royal Highness the her Royal Hignessthe Princess of Wales. Princess of Wales. The procession, as it entered the Church, was headed by the Lord Bishop of London, and the Dean and Chap- ter of St. Paul's. As it passed from the vestibule slowly up the nave, the grand organ commenced to play, and its slow and solemn music rolled through the church and reverberated in and araund the dome. The Royal pew formed the end of the raised platform at the eastern end of the nave, between the seats of the Lords and Com- mons. It consisted of a large space, nearly filling up the entrance to the nave from the western end of the great dome. Enclosed within a massive brass railing stood the Chair of State, opposite to the position occupied by King George III and Queen Caroline upon the occasion of the thanksgiving for the restoration of his Majesty to health. When the procession reached the end of the nave it opened is two lines. The members of the Royal Family entered the Royal pew. The Bishop of London, as Dishopof the Diocese, and as Dean of the Queen's Chapels Royal, proceeded to a seat immediately opposite the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Thanksgiving Service began about half-past one. It commenced with the Te Deum Laudainus set to Mr. Goss's new^nusic, which was sung with great power and feeling by the augmented choir, who were conducted by Mr. Winn, the basso. A few responses from the Prayer Book followed, then the Lord's Prayer was repeated. The remainder of the service was as follows :— THE COLLECT. 0 God, the protector of all that trust in Thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; increase and multiply upon us Thy mercy; that, Thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal: Gr."nt this, 0 heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord. Amen. A PRATER FOR THE QUEEN'S MAJESTY. O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lords of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from Thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth; most heartily we beseech Thee with Thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen VidoÜ9, and so replenish her with the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, that she may always incline to.Thy will, and walk in Thy way; endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant her in health and wealth Ions to live; strengthen her that she may vanquish and over- come all her enemies; and finally, after this life, she may attain everlasting joy and felicity, through Jesus Christ oar Lord. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE BOYAr. FAMILY. A1 nighty God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly be- seech Thee to bless Albert Edward. Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all the Royal Family Endue them with Thy Holv Spirit enrich them with Thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to Thine everlasting kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A GENERAL THANKSGIVING. Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, Thine unworthy ser- vants, do give Thee most humble and hearty thanks for all Thy goodness and lovingkindness to us, and to all men [particularly to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, who desires now to offer up his praises and thanksgivings for Thy late mercies vouchsafed unto him.] We bless Thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech Thee, give us that due sense of all Thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we show forth Thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives by giving up ourselves to Thy ser- vice, by walking before Thee in holiness and righteousness all our days through Jesus Christ our Lord, tdewhom with Thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen. 0 Father of mercies and God of ail eo^ufort, we thank Thee that Thou hast heard the prayers of this nation in the day of our trial We praise and magnify Thy glorious name for that Thou hast raiscdT hy servant Albert, Edward Prince of Wales, from the bed of sickness Thou castest down and Thou liftest up, and health and strength are Thy gifts We pray Thee to perfect the recovery of Thy servant, and to crown him day by day with more abundant blessings both for body and soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The paragraph appended to the last prayer was spe- cially composed for the occasion by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Then was sung Mr. Goss's new anthem, from Psalm csviii, verses 14, 21, and 28. The Lord is my strength, and my song: and is bse&m? my salvation The voice of joy and health is in the 0.wellillgs of the righteous: the right hani of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass. The right hand of the Lord hath the pre-eminence; the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass. I shall not die, but live: and declare the wprks of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened and corrected ]a,, but he huth not given me over unto death. OpeJl me the gates of I that I may go into them, and give thanks unto the Lor i. This is the gate of the Lord the righteous shall enter into it. I will thank Thss, for Thou hast heard me and ait bc-come my salvation. Tbou art icy God, and I will thank Thee: Thou ait my God» and I well Thee. "Hallelujah: Amen. ,¡