The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-02 00:00:00

gpt Court.

WINDSOR, Jaw. I.
Being New Year's Day, the band of the Royal
Horse Guards assembled on t!e But Terrace at 7 o'clock
this smornieg and played a selection of favourite airs.
Her Majesty's matausi gifts to the poor were distributed
in the Riding School of the Castle this moesiag. The reel-
piints consisted of about 600 poor persons residing in Wind-
sor and Clown parishes.

At 10 o'clock the Queen and Prises, aeo3rapecied by the
Royal children, attended by the Ladles and Gentlemen-in-
Waiting, left the Castle and proceeded to the gallery of the
Riding School, to witness the distribution which took place
under the superintendence of the clergy of Windsor and
Clewer and the district visitors of the poor.
The gifts consisted of joints of meet, coals, proportioned
to the various families, and clothing divided among the
members of the Clothing Club, fttiblished under the pa-
tronage of her Majesty ; all members receiving according
to their eontribations, with the additions mide by the
Queen's bounty.

The Duchess of Kent breakfasted with her Majesty this
morning.

Myor•Oeneral tho lion. C. Grey and Colonel F. H
Seymour have suoceedod Mejor•©eceral Bouverie and
Captain Da Plat as Equerries in Waiting to the Queen and

Lord Cowley, the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, and
Lient..General Sir George Bowles have been invited, and
are expected this afternorat.
___

The dinner party this evening includes the Duchess of
Kent, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary,
Lady Fanny Howard, Lady SuMeld, Lady Caroline Bar-
rington, Baroness de Speth, Lord Cowley, the Right Hon.
Sidney Herbert, Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phippe, Major-
General Sir George Bowles, Mr. Glover, and the Gentle-
man in Waiting to the Duchess et Cambridge.
The band of the Royal Horse Guards play during
dinner.

A performance of choral music was given in the evening
in Bt. George's Hall, by an orchestra of nearly 140 per-
formers.

The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the
Dasher of Kent, the Duchess of Cambridge and the
Princem Mary, and the five elder Royal Children, the
dinner circle, the evening company, and the ladies and
gentlemen in attendance, entered the Hall about ten
o'clock, when the performacce commenced.
The First Part consisted of Beethoven's Cantata, as ar-
ranged for English words, entitled "The Praise of Music ;"
the Second Put comprising Mendelssohn's " Walpurgis
Night."

The Solo Vocalism were Madame Clara Novell°, Mrs.
Weiss, Mr. Sims Reeves, and Mr. Weiss.
The Bend comprised her Majesty's Private Bead, headed
by M. Swinton, aided by a selection from the principal
performers of the Philharmonie Society and the Royal
Italian Opera.

The Chorus, 76 in number, were selected from the Royal
Italian Open and the Amateurs of the Sacred H►rmonic
Society, Easter Hall.

The performance was conducted by Mr. Anderson, the
Director of her Majesty's Private Band ; Mr. W. 0. Cusins,
Organist of her Majesty's Private Chapel, presiding at the
Organ. .

The following received invitations to the evening party
The Dowager Marchioness of Downsbire, the Dowager
Countess if Mansfield, and the Ladies Murray, the Rev.
Lord and Lady Wriothealey Russell, Lady Emily Seymour,
Vice-Admiral Bir G. Seymour, and the Misses Seymour,
the lion. and Rev. Mr. Cut, Lady Anna Maria and the
Misses Cast, the Right Hon. H. sad Lady Mary Labor-
. _ .

. .
cher*, Colonel the Right Hon. C. Forester (commanding
officer Royal Horse Guards), Colonel the Hon. N. and Lady
Mary Hood, the Provost of Eton, the Hon. Hrs. Grey, Mrs.

Clive, Miu Barrington, the lion. Mrs. and Miss Phipps,
Mrs. and Miss Bathurst, the Rev. W. and Mrs. Canning,
Colonel and Mrs. Cranford, Majnr Cavendish (Royal Bucks
Militia), and Mrs. Cavendish, Captain Sykes (commanding
officer 94th Regiment), Mrs. Codrington, Mrs. Blasts, the
Mutes Codrington, and Mr. Gibbs.

Lord Cowky had aa interview with the Earl of Aber-
deen yesterday at hia official residence in Dawning-street.
Despatches for the Governors of the Cape ol G.kod Hope,
' the Gold Coast, and also of the West India Colonies, were
sent last evening from the Co:onial-office.