The Express.
London, England, 1863-03-09 00:00:00

PICCADILLY.

That part of the line of procession embraced be-
tween St. James's-street, Piccadilly, and Hyde-
park was filled from an early hour of the day with
large groups of people, from a feeling that it
afforded ose of the beat points for seeing the cortege.
Looking eastward from opposite Lord falmerston's
mansion, and beholding the dense mass of people
who occupied the slope which begins at the Green-
park, the prospect was very ezhilirating. The
railing along the Green-park was taken possession
of at a very early period of the morning and °con-
pied till the promotion passed, by the patient and
the strong. One adventurous person perched
hisi-
self amongst the topmost branches of one of the
highest trees in the park, and having suspended a
flag from one of the branches, he quietly took out
a newspaper and relieved his sublime loneliness
with its columns till the precession came into Picca-
dilly, which it did about a quarter after four o'clock.
Among the more noticeable features presented to
her Majesty's faithful lieges along the above route
were the following :—At the corner of St. James's-
street, facing Piccadilly, stands the Sovereign Life
Office—a handsome building of modern years, and
four stories in height. Seats were provided by the
directors for ladies :in every convenient spot for
view, and around thelialoonies were wreathed in
profusion white and rod roses. The Bath Hotel,
which is adjacent to the foregoing balconies, was
covered with scarlet cloth, bordered with a strip of
white silk, and from the whole of the windows in
the front part of the house flags were projected,
on which were inscribed the wish that the royal
pair might have much health and happinesa On
the opposite of the street, at Hatchett's Hotel, large
sized flags—the royal arms of Denmark and the
Prince of Wales's plume—sere projected
from the roof, and greatly admired Devonshire-
house, the town residence of the Duke and Duchess
of Devonshire, is surrounded by a high wall, but
towering above it were erected, by the duke's direc-
tions, about 300 seats, with a canopy over, for his
private friends. The hangings were of crimson
cloth, looped with white silk, and the whole sur-
mounted with three flags of verions colours. Miss
Burdett Contta had provided seats in the rooms of
her house at the corner of Stratton-street for several
ladies, and the family attendants were not forgotten.
The balconies in the front of Mrs. Buckmaster's
residence? at the corner of Bolton-street, were
draped with scarlet cloth, which was tied up at the
supports with broad white ribbon. In the centre
of the decorations were the royal arms, and the star
of the Order of the Garter, with the motto. Great
preparations have been made for the illumination of
Mrs. Buckmaster's house in oil on the day of the
royal wedding. At Lord Ashburton's mansion, facing
the Green-park, about 70 seats, under a canopy, had
been erected for the noble lord's friends. The
drapery on the seats was of crimson cloth, fluted
with white and purple ribbon. The seats were
principally occupied by ladies. The residence of
the Duke of Grafton, conspicuous for its size, but
not on account of its architecture, for it is a very
plain building, was without any decoration, but the
11 windows were filled with visitors. Cambridge-
house—the mansion of England's noble premier,
Viscount Palmerston—was a point of great attrac-
tion the whole of the day, from a desire to see the
noble lord. In the curtilage in front of the house
were constructed about 60 seats, but without any
canopy, consequently the shower of small rain
which fell about two o'clock emptied them of
their fair occupants. About three o'clock, the
rain having happily discontinued, Lord Palmer-
ston, accompanied by Lady Palmerston, the Duke
of Somerset, First Lord of the Admiralty, and his
duchess, the Right Hon. William Cowper, First
Commissioner of Public Works, the Earl of Shaftes-
bury, the Marquis d'Azeglio, minister at the Court
of St. James's for Italy, and many other friends,
took his seat, amid loud cheers, in the centre, and
awaited with firma_ patience the arrival of the royal
procession. The Marquis of Hertford's huge man-
sion, which it is understood he does not occupy on
account of some dispute with the parish authorities,
was occupied throughout by visitors, but there
were no decorations whatever. In favourable con-
trast with Hertford-house were the very pretty
decorations, consisting of red and white roses, in-
tertwined over the balconies, and hanging from the
upper stories and over the front of the house in
the occupation of Mr. Itearden. Proceeding
'further westward is the residence of the
Count and Countess Flahault, recently am-
bassador at the Court of St. James's for
France. The balcony was covered with a quan-
tity of Turkey rugs of rich colouring, and ors'. them,
and running higher up, and from end to end, wen