The Express.
London, England, 1863-03-11 00:00:00

[Stamped, Id. Additkaid.)

either side. In the nave the great officers of the
household began to drop in at an early hour, and
seemed to be fully impressed with the responsi-
bility that devolved upon them on this important
day. We observed a cluster of them in elaborate
blue and gold uniforms, busy for a long time on the
' haul pas searching for something which it would
appear one of them had dropped, but which on
being at last found clamed them to disappear with
alacrity in various directions and in evident satis-
factiou. At the right hand corner of the nave,
close by the communion-table, the well-known
artist, Mr. Frith, might be seen, in court dress,
and in as admirable position for taking the prelimi-
nary sketches for his promureit picture.
The great artist was sunounded by a
perfect bevy of ladies, and seemed exesedingly to
enjoy his rather enviable location. The ladies
bad sow begun to arrive. Their drama were
splendid, and in great variety both of material
sad colour, with, however, 1111 regards the latter, •
considerable preponderance of selection in favour of
mauve and magenta. Perhaps the most beautiful
as well as the most richly drawled amongst this
faabionable company was the Countess Iteveatiow,
whose arrival was quite an reddest in Ike prosessil
• of the day. The Archbishop of Cam
loardoes",the Dias of
Windsor, strived m excellent time, sad imme-
diately proceeded to take their allotted pewees, the
Archbishop, Primate of all England, sanding
on the north side of the communion-table, end the
Dean of Windsor, Chaplain of the Order of the
Garter, upon the south, the latter wearing the
scarlet robe which indicated his special office.
The peeresses and other ladies of rank now began
to pour in in numbers, and some amusement was
mused by the shifts to which they were obliged to
resort in order to reconcile the narrowness of the
7:7with the expansiveness of their draperies.
1: oases a dead lock seemed to be imminent,
but the difficulty was got over somehow, and gra-
dually every seat in the choir was occupied. Now,
it might be said that the rather gloomy choir
began to look cheerful and brilliant. Many of the
ladies wore a humors' of gold or silver tissue,
and head dresses sparkling with diamonds. Their
dresses were silks and brocades of the richest tex-
tures and finest colours, and the personal attrac-
tions of many of them completed the effect of the
picture. A great stir was now created by the
arrival of the Knights of the Garter, wearing the
gorgeous robes of their order. Amongst them we
noticed Earl Granville, the Earl of Clarendon, the
Earl of Shaftesbury, the Duke of Somerset, Earl
Russell, and arming up last, Lord Palmerston. His
lordship looked exceedingly well in his purple velvet
mantle, but Deemed to walk with some difficulty as
he ascended to his allotted place. About the same
time a single Knight of the Bath came in upon the
opposite side in ample cloak of crimson satin, but
' the effect was by no means so good as that produced
by the regal purple of the higher order.
_

A glance round at the nave now also began to
discover objects of interest. The whole body of
heralds in their rich tabards stood grouped on one
aide, and the crimson curtain at the end being par-
tially raised exposed the glittering groups beyond
who were awaiting the signal to advance. Con-
spicuous in front of these stood the Maharajah
Dbuleep Singh, in the richest oriental costume, and
if his highness had been placed there with a delibe-
rate view to theatrical effect he could not have
looked to greater advantage. A single sunbeam
bad just penetrated the Gothic window over his
bead, and lit upon the precious jewel in his
turban, making the latter shine like a star,
and the wearer for the moment the great
centre and object of attraction. Through
the same opening came, softened by distance, toe
strains of the military bands outside, and these were
emulated not very congruously by the orchestra in
the organ giillery, themembers of which commenced
tuning their instruments, certainly without pro-
ducing any very valuable addition to the general
harmony. The accessories of the picture were now
complete, the nave studded down each side with
long benches, filled with ladies in gay morning cos-
tume, the heralds standing in groups at one side,
and the distinguished personages who were to form
the various processions, visible through the crimson
opening ; whilst on the other side, in the choir, every-
thing was solemn richness and silent expectation.
The Knights of the Garter were all in their stalls
bidden almost in purple and gold, the Peeresses in
the front rows sparkling in diamonds, and at the
upper end the eye rested on a magnificent jumble of
episcopal lawn, gorgeous church plate, gilded tabou-
vets, and court functionaries in uniforms elaborately
embroidered with gold. About this time attention
became concentrated upon the pew known as the
royal closet, which was conspicuous over the north
side of thecommunion-table. A rumour went round
that the Queen had arrived, and on looking towards
the closet we saw her Majesty take her seat in front,
clad in the deepest widow's weeds, and having
only for ornament the Collar and George of the
highest order of English chivalry. It is needless to
say how deep was the interest with which everyone
gazed at this corner of the Chapel. It could easily
be seen that her Majesty was deeply moved by the
scene which expanded in magnificence at her feet ;
and it could be imagined that the royal memory re-
verted to a similar scene occurring more than twenty
years ago, in which her Majesty herself was the
centre figure, and in which one who is now no
more stood beside her at the altar to claim her as
his bride. There was a momentary sadness per-
vading the whole of that distinguished company ;
the same thought seemed to run sympathetically
through every mind, and many a tear was shed
Wailes those which were obviously falling in the
royal closet But the occasion was one of joy and
not of satinet., and the martial sound of the trum-
pet soon recalled attention to the ceremonial of the
day. Every eye was turned towards the nave, into
which the first procession, that of the royal guests,
I was now entering. - _ _ . . . .

Of this distinguished list the Danish visitors
were of course the greatest objects of curiosity. The
Princess Christian of Dimmed( and ber fair
daughters, the Princesses Dagmar and Tliyra, were
eagerly scrutinised—the magnificent toilet of the
elder lady and the personal attractions of the
younger proportionably dividing the general ad-
miration. Some little time was occupied in escort-
ing these royal personages to their appointed seats
on the haut pas, but so admirable and perfect were
the arrangements that not the slightest confusion
or unnecessary delay occurred. The hunt pas was
very soon completely covered with rich robes
and brilliant uniforms. At this moment we noticed
the Lord Chancellor approaching the haut pas, and
shortly afterwards the Lord Mayor of London
entered the choir, and took his allotted position.
After an exceedingly short interval of time the
trumpets again sounded in the nave, and the
second procession, that of the royal family and the
Queen's household, advanced.
The Princess Mary of Cambridge, who was the
first of the royal personages in this procession,
appeared to great advantage. It would be impos-
sible to imagine a more graceful and dignified pre-
sence than that of her royal highness, and an audible
hum of a tion rose through the interior as
she along to the choir, smiling and saluting
such friends as shec iced in the galleries. Great
interest was also by the junior members of
the royal family, the Princesses Beatrice, Louisa,
and Helena, and the Princes Leopold and Arthur,
The two latter, as they walked along baud in hand in
their picturesque Highland costume, appeared to be
engaged in close conversation, and to pay very little
attention to the gorgeous pageant b 7 which they were
surronuded. The Princess Lours of Hers, the
" Princess Alice" of the English people's affections,
was eagerly watched for and pointed out, and not
less interest was created by the entrance of the
Crown Princess of Prussia, leading her little sou
by the hand. A very varied character was given

['TWOPENCE

to this procession by the number of foreign military
and court uniforms with which it was interspersed.
Precisely at 12 o'clock one of the two great pro-
motions of the day—namely, that of the royal
bridegroom---commenced, and it is needless to add
that the interest of the spectators greatly inten-
sified as the crimson folds of drapery were thrown
open and the two kings-of-arms, Norroy and
CUrenceux, appeared in the vestibule.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales probably
never appeared to so much advantage as upon this
important occasion. His royal highness wore over
a full general officer's uniform, with the Stars of the
Garter and the Indian Order, the magnificent
lowing mantle of the order of the Garter, and
in it looked a model of youthful grace and manli-
ness. His step was full of firmness and dignity, and
his whole carriage that of a prince. His royal
highness's supporters, the Crown Prince
of Prussia and the reigning Duke of Saxe
rim, both also Knights of the Garter,
en his royal highness's right band and
left, bathe public had no eyeexoept for the Prince,
whose aQp and entire deportment received
the mod of universal approbation. His royal
1). *nem lowed gracefsday to the ladies right and
le as he along, and with marked reverence
to dm Queen es Ise appeemied lim hes* gee.
Having arrived there, bis royal highness stood at
the communion table, and waited with many a
glance towards 'the now the coming of the
bride. The entrance of hie royal highness
into the choir was the signal for the
first music a the day's, progamme. The
organ sad the band pealed forth Meudelasohn's
March bum 4 *die as his royal highness was being
conducted to the hant pas, and remained playing
until the trumpets announced the approach of the
bride. This, of course, was the lending point of
interest in the ceremonial of the day, ae the Prin-
cess Alexandra had already become Rush a popular
favourite that the greatest anxiety existed to see
her and judge of ber deportment in the great crisis
of her life. It is therefore not surprising that
there should be a universal rising from mats and• a
general turning of faces towards the nave as the
trumpets once more sounded to usher in the pee-
cession of the bride.

Those who had seen her royal bight's.' land
flushed and smiling on the previous Saturday at
Gravesend, were perfectly astonished at the new
and serene character which her beauty had now
assumed.

Lo ! when she some along with portly pace;
Like nobs from her chamber of the met,
Arises forth to run her mighty race.
Clad all ia white, that seems a virgin beet.
Spenser's description fitted her royal highness to
the letter, for her tread was perfect in maidenly
majesty and dignity, and her pale and intensely
thoughtful face showed how conscious she was of
the mighty race she had to run. Her
royal highness's dress, as befitted a bride,
was of pure white silk, covered with
wetly lace of the same colour, and a train of
unusual length and dimensions was borne by a
graceful bevy of bridesmaids ; her royal highness
wore a profusion of orange flowers and the neck-
lace of pearls and diamonds which had beep pre-
sented to her by the Prince of Wales. It had
been generally expected that the bridal neck orna-
ment would have been the present of the City of
London, but even the corporation must admit that
the gifts of her betrothed had prior claims upon
her royal highness. Her royal highness's august
father, Prince Christian, divided the of
the public with the Duke of Cambridge; and
it was not forgotten that this prince had in former
days come as a suitor to Windsor Castle, being then
anxious to effect that union of the two royal families
of England and Denmark which now was to be oe-
mented by his daughter's marriage to the Prince of
Wales. His royal highness is a line soldierly-
looking man in the prime of life, and looked ex-
ceedingly well in his Danish uniform. As the bride
entered the choir the band played the march from
" Joseph " (Handel). During the advance of the
procession of the Bride through the chapel, and
previous to the commencement of the marriage ser-
vice, the band and choir performed the following
chorale, composed by the Prince Consort, the words
by T. Oliphant, Esq. :
This day, with Joyful heart and role,
To Hessen be nus'd a nation's pray 'r
Almighty Father, deign to grant
Thy Um* to the wedded pair.
So shell se clouds of sorrow dim
The sunshine of their early days.
But hapvosm in endless round
Shall Mill esoompses all their ways.
All remained standing during the performance
of the chorale. It did not strike us that the
music, either vocal or instrumental, was very effec-
tive, although in the chorale the chapel choristers
had the assistance of Madame Liod (Gold-
schmidt). The Princess was conducted to her
seat on the left side of the bout pas, and
the bridesmaids clustered behind her royal highness
whilst the Primate and his attendant clergy were
preparing to perform the marriage ceremony.
Previous, however, to her royal highness taking
her allotted seat, she knelt reverently before the
altar, and appeared for some minutes to be absorbed
in prayer, in which she was visibly joined by her
Majesty the Queen, who leant forward, and re
mewed with head bowed during the time that the
Princess knelt at the altar.

The marriage ceremony now commenced, and
was, of course, gone through in the same way as it
was probably being performed at that moment
in half the parish churches of the kingdom, for it
is generally understood that all the intending brides
of the last month or two had made up their minds
to be married on the same day as the Princess
Alexandra. The Archbishop read the service with
great impressiveness, and with so distinct a voice
that many of his words reached the lower end of
the nave. There was immense curiosity to hear
the Prince and Princess respectively pronounce the
momentous " I will," but iu neither case was the
public curiosity gratified. So far as the royal
couple was concerned the company were obliged
to be content with seeing, and nobody we may be
sure missed the graceful action of his royal high-
uess in placing the ring on the finger of his
bride. The Archbishop gave his blessing with
great earnestness and solemnity, and was heartily
joined in it by every person in the church. Whilst
it was being delivered her Majesty the Queen knelt
and prayed with her bead buried in her handker-
chief ; and it was not unreasonable to ooujecture
that the sorrow of the widow mingled with the joy
of the mother in producing the emotion which
even the restraints of royal etiquette could not
entirely conceal. In another moment the whole of
eesethisieimeeposreintirgecdereeeermoinal was
yiintheoevrder th
e,
tt
e avariouswhich p
theyro-
had advanced, and in au incredibly short space of
time St. George's Chapel resumed its ordinary still-
ness and solemnity.
After the celebration of the marriage, which was
announced by the tiring of guns in the Long Walk of
Windsor-pant, the united procession of the bride
and bridegroom was formed.
The carriages, as they returned from the cere-
mony, drove at a much more rapid pace than when
proceeding to the Chapel Royal, but the applause
of the spectators was much more enthusiastic as
the Prince and Princess of Wales, united now in the
sacred bonds of wedlock, rode in the same carriage.
As has been already remarked, the royal Princess
looked better and happier, and so likewise did the
Prince of Wales. They returned the felicitations
, which greeted them along the entire line till they
I entered the Castle in the most affable manner.
1 A splendid dijeuner was served in St. George's-
ball after the ceremony, and as it was known that
. the wedded pair would immediately after proceed
I to Osborne, the immense throng who witnessed the
procession for the moot part lingered about the
Cantle precincts, to witness the departure also.
Shortly after the time appoints the Prince and.

__,,~