The Express.
London, England, 1863-03-07 00:00:00

THE ILLUMINATIONS.

The following notice was last night issued from
the Metropolitan Police-office :—" Besides the
police arrangements to enable persons in carriages
as well as walking to pass through the streets of the
principal illuminations, the gates of all the parks
at the West-end, including those of the Horse
Guards and at the top of Constitution-hill, will be
kept open until 12 o'clock at night, for private car-
riages and cabs to peas out of the crowded streets.—
R. MAYNE."

THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA AT
THE BELGIAN COURT.

A letter from our Brussels correspondent, under
date the sth instant, gives the following details
respecting the stay of the Princess Alexandra at
the Belgian Court :

" He; Royal Highness the Princess Alexandra of
Denmark is in Brussels, and creates a sensation
which far exceeds her first visit to this city. How-
ever great may be the enthusiasm among the Eng-
lish for the future Princess of Wales, that of the
Belgians is by no means inferior. A natural
curiosity always exists on the occasion of a royal
union, but when it concerns one whose beauty and
amiability are admired by all who have seen her ;
when that union is to be formed under the paternal
auspices of so beloved a sovereign as King Leopold,
and with the heir to a throne that forms the bulwark
of constitutional liberty in Europe, there can be no
wonder that aliberaloountrysuchasßelgium should
take • prominent part. in the general rejoicing.
Her Royal Highness arrived on Monday last at four
o'clock in the afternoon. Crowds of people awaited
in the neighbourhood of the Station die Nord,
where a detachment of tke Grenadiers were on
guard to wort the royal party to the palace of
Ring Leopold. Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess
of Brabant and the Count of Flanders received
their august guests to the sound of the Danish and
British national airs. Princess Alexandra was ac-
companied by her royal parents, Prince and Prin-
ems Christian of Denmark, the Princess
Princes Frederic and William, the Prints=
the Duke of Gluckaboturg, Mr. Paget, British minis-
ter at Copenhagen; General Oxholm, court mar-
shal of Denmark; Madame Oxholus;the Countess
of Reveutlow, and Mademoiselle Von Zelle, ladies
of honour; M. Roesdorff, chamberlain; M. de
Castenkiold, M. de Lund, BL de Kaas, officers of
the Danish royal household.
"Lord Howard de Walden, British minister at
Brussels ; M. de Bille-Brahe, minister of Denmark
at the Hague ; Count van der Strecten-Bathes,
grand marshal at the court of Brussels, and Captain
Montignie, aide-de-camp to King Leopold, bad
received the Princess at Verviers, and accompanied
her to Brussels. The same morning his Royal
Highness the Prince of Prussia had been received
at Lacken by his Majesty, with whom be bad a
very long, and, it is said, very important inter-
view. Lord Spencer Loftus, British minister at
Berlin, Mr. J. Ward, and Mr. H. F. Howard, the
British representatives in Hamburg and Frankfort,
were observed in the royal cortege. Lord Grey
and the commander of the royal yacht had come
to Brussels from Antwerp and assisted, and with all
the personages mentioned were at the state dinner
given the same evening by her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Brabant at the palace. After dinner,
the royal families of Belgium and Denmark, with
the exception of her Royal Highness Princess
Alexandra, attended the performance given at the
Opera. The royal guests were loudly cheered at
their entrance, as they were the two following
evenings on appearing at the same theatre.
"Many of the privileged ladies of Belgian society
were admitted to view her Royal Highness's wedding
trousseau, which was made in Brussels, under the
direct surveillance of the Duchess of Brabant.
Twenty-eight splendid dresses were admired, among
which the most splendid is naturally the wedding
dress, a present of King Leopold. The material is
moire d'a,gent, trimmed with flounces of the moat
beautiful Brussels lace. The design of the lace is
composed of only four elements, the rose, thistle,
and shamrock, intermingled with orange bloseoms,
and ornamented by the initials of their Royal
Highnesses, A.A., under the royal coronet.
" The Duchess of Brabant has offeredtto her royal
cousin • splendid toilette of black Brussels lace.
Her Royal Highness and the Count of Flanders
precede Princess Alexandra to London, and will
arrive at the royal marriage. They embark to-day
at Calais for Dover.
" It was thought till this morning that the future
Princess of Wales would leave Brussels to-morrow
for Antwerp, but most unexpectedly the whole
royal party left the capital this morning
at nine o'clock. The Princess will remain on board
ship on the two evenings preceding her landing at
Gravesend. The moment the departure of her
Royal Highness was known to the Brussels public
crowds of spectators, English and Belgian, took
the trains, and will do so till to-morrow evening,
to witness the royal English flotilla weighing anchor
in the Scheldt.