The Press.
London, England, 1856-08-30 00:00:00

gull at lasigon.

Her Majesty lhe Queen, accompanied by Prince
Albert, the Princess Roysl, Prince Alfred, and the
Princesses Helena and Louisa, left Osborne on
Wednesday morning and arrived in town at three
p.m. Her Majesty gave audiences at Buckingham
Palace in the afternoon to the Earl of Clarendon ;
Count Chreptosritch, Envoy Extraordinary agnd
Minister Plenipotentiary from the Emperor of
Russia, to deliver his credentials; M. Gonzalez, the
Spanish Minister, to take leave; and Senor I. de
Francisco Martin, to deliver his credentials as Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from the
Republic of Guatemala.

Her Majesty, on Thursday morning, accompanied
by ber Royal Family and Court, left town at eight
a.m. by the Great Northern Railway, for Edinburgh
and Balmoral. The royal train arrived in saiety at
York by 12.50. a.m., and Edinburgh at 6.35. p.m.
The Queen proceeded at once to Holyrood. Her
Majesty remained at Edinburgh on Friday, and pro-
ceeds to Balmoral this morning.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales,
Prince Arthur, and Prince Lewld remain at
Osborne.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cam-
bridge and the Princess Mary have arrived Fafely at
Baden Baden.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester is
indisposed. Her Majesty the Queen and Prince
Albert visited her Royal Highness on Wednesday
ivt Richmond-park.

His Excellency Baron 13entinck, Minister of the
Netherlands, has left town for the Continent. His
Excellency will be absent from this country a couple
of months.

Her Grace the Duche-q Dowager of Cleveland has
left Grosvenor-square for Newton-house, Bedale,
xorlobire,

THE PRESS.

THE ROYAL FAMILY OF OUDE.

THE Queen Mother and the Royal Princes of Oude
held a levee at Southampton at the close of last
week, and received a limited number of the nobility
and gentry in the neighbourhood who had expressed
a wish to pay their respects to the illustrious visitors.
The time for visiting the princes was fixed at half-
past three in the afternoon, and that for the Queen
Mother at four o'clock. Soon after three o'clock
unusual bustle was observed at the hotel. The
crowd before the building became greater, and
there was much excitement in the interior.
Gold and silver mace-bearers stood inside the
door to guard the entracee. Interpreters were
in attendance, and none were allowed to pass in but
the nobility and gentry, whose names had been pre-
viously submitted to the heir apparent. The
reception was held at the upper Dart of the hotel,
where the Princes reside. Oriental servants were
stationed along the staircases to show the way to the
reception-room. The visitors passed by the apart-
ments of the zemindars, jaghiredars, and other
native gentlemen who have accompanied the royal
family of Oude to this country. At half-past throe
the reception took place, Major Bird acting as master
of the ceremonies. On entering the reception room
the two Princes of Oude were seen standing at the
farther end, dressed in a magnificent costume. The
heir apparent had on a cloak of scarlet and gold.
His head-dress consisted of a coronetted-shaped
cap of rather large size, the most prominent orna•
meta of which was a string of large precious stones
projecting from the cap. In his hand he held a
scimitar sheathed in a magnificent scabbard. His
uncle, the brother of the ex king, was dressed in a
blue and silver cloak, with hes,d-dress of the same
materials, and of a fezlike shape. By the side of
the heir apparent were two gigantic Nubian eunuchs
and two other officers of state. Two officers of the
royal suite stood by the side of the Prince's uncle.
Major Bird led each visitor forward, and mentioned
the name to the Princes; the visitor bowed and
retired to the other end of the room. As soon as
the room was fall, the Princes sat down on a sofa,
and the visitors on chairs. Amongst the visitors so
introduced were the Earl and Countess of Hard-
wicks, the three Ladies Yorke, Viscount Royston,
Admiral Ayscough and family, Sir George Womb-
well, General Sir George and Lady Pollock, the
mayor, high sheriff, and some of the magistrates of
Southampton, and a number of the gentry of the
town and neighbourhood. Sir George Pollock
entered into conversation with the elder Prince.
Several of the higher order of officers of State
mingled with the visitors. After the visitors had
been sitting for a short time the Princes rose, and
the former then stood up, made their obeisance, and
retired, after which other visitors were admitted.

Soon after four o'clock about thirty ladies of South
ampton were admitted into the presence of the
ex Queen. Mrs. Brandon, an English lady who
long resided at Cawnpore, in Oude, and who accom-
panied the Queen to this country, acted as interpre
tests. When the visitors entered the apartment, the
Queen was sitting on a sofa, attended by eight native
ladies, one of whom held a fan over head. Her
Majesty was dressed in splendid shawls, hut her
head, neck, and one arm were uncovered. Her hair
was cut rather short, and brushed back over the
head ala Chinois. She wore two massive earrings,
but no other jewellery about her head. She is
reported to be a stout good-looking personage, is not
very dark, appears younger than she really is, has
a pleasing voice, and from her features and
manner would appear to possess an amiable dis-
position. She received her visitors affably, and
seemed gratified. She pathetically lamented
to the Countess of Hardwicke, of whose high
rank she seemed to be aware, that she could
not speak to her in the English language.
The interview lasted about a quarter of an hour.
The visitors saluted her by making an obeisance,
and then stood round her. During the interview
the Princes of Oude entered the apartment, and sat
by the side of their parent. The native ladies were
dressed much like the Queen.
Of the domestic habits of the Royal Court little is
known befond this, that they get up at sunrise, enjoy
a long siesta at noon, and go to bed at midnight. It
has been chronicled as a remarkable fact that they
don't eat their chicken till they have been killed at
least twenty-four hours, and that the fish are always
wiped with a towel bt-fore rubbed with eggs and
bread-crumb and submitted to the frying-pan; but
we attribute these very singular (?) customs more to
love of tender meat and sweet-tasting fish than to
any peculiar religions rule.

On Monday the Princes, attended by a numerous
and armed retinue, enjoyed a drive round the neigh-
bouring country, which they admired much, and on
the same afternoon one of the Princesses took a bath
at Vardey's Hotel. She was conveyed to the hotel,
closely veiled, in a fly, and accompanied by a eunuch,
who never left her for a moment any part of the
time,

SATURDAY,

The Qneen Mother, it is said, trusts to have
an interview with her Majesty, and arrangements
are being made for the speedy departure of the
royal family from Sant-ham-man tar London, where
magnificent apartments will be fitted up for them.