The Express.
London, England, 1863-03-06 00:00:00

PRINCIOVS.

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Veda, and Cathcart ; Ml. Ana aedgerielt and N. Marlon.
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BRITANNIA.
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LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 6.

RECEPTION OF THE PRINCESS

ALEXANDRA.

On MONDAY EVENING next a DOUBLE
NUMBER of the EXPRESS will be published,
containing the fullest particulars of the reception
of the Princess Alexandra in England.
Advertisements for this number must be received
at the office of the &press by Twelve o'clock to-
morrow (Saturday) morning.

LONDON is just now in a state of excitement
which is not only unexampled within the memory
of that proverbial being, the oldest inhabitant, but
probably without a parallel in its history as a city.
During the last few day. the main thoroughfares
of the metropolis have undergone a magical trans-
formation throughout their length and breadth.
The venerable churches and public buildings, so
familiar to the eye of the Londoner, are half
obscured by the festive booths that have suddenly
sprung up around their walla, while all, the open
spaces, every available spot, almost every niche
and doorway all along the whole line, are covered
with stairs and terraces of crimson seats. The
long lines of dingy houses are hastily putting on
their beat face, are becoming every hour bright with
waving banners and gay with holiday decorations
to greet the happy morning, while the more con-
spicuous fronts are rapidly covered with stars and
plumes, and benedictions, to prolong the public
welcome, and gladden its closing hours with the
splendour of an artificial day. Almost everything,
all ordinary business and usual occupations yield to
the engrossing task and absorbing passion of the
hour. The streets are darkened with scaffolding,
and blocked up with waggon loads of poles and
iron piping. Gaafitters and carpenters, builders
and decorators are brought from all points of the
compass, engaged at fabulous prices, and kept at
their work night and day. To them time is em-
phatically money ; but to all other tradesmen along
the line, space alone is for the moment money.
Hardly anything bat ticketed stands is visible in the
shop-windows, and almost every business except
the disposal of seats is temporarily suspended. The
ordinary traffic of the streets experiences a similar
interruption. Already in the more busy part of

the City it is brought to a stand at alsem*lssery
crossing by the dense multitudes that on
I foot mid in every species of vehicles crowd
the streets through which the procession
ie to paw This is in fact the most striking and
significant feature of the prevailing excitement.
The desire to welcome the Princess ALEXANDRA,
and the determination to do her honour, as the
chosen and worthy bride of the Prinoe of WALES,
is in the truest and broadest sense a popular
feeling—the national sentiment of the hour. It
not only thoroughly pervades all classes, but is
perhaps felt and expressed most strongly by those
who in social position are furthest removed from
the throne—by the great mass of the people. The
welcome of Saturday will be in the highest degree
a popular demonstration. It is a popular demon-
stration, moreover, which, so far from having been
in the least stimulated in official quarters, has
assumed its gigantic proportions and enthusiastic
character in spite of almost every species of official
discouragement. It is a thoroughly spontaneous ex-
pression of popular sympathy, of national affection
and respect—a loyal and festive insurrection, in
fact, of a whole people. Looked at in this light, it
may be asserted with the strictest truth that no Prince
or Princess ever yet received such a welcome as
will be given to the Princess ALEXANDRA and the
Prince of WALES on Saturday.

Foreigners, even intelligent and friendly foreigners,
are at a perfect loss how to interpret this , pheno-
menon. They cannot at all understand the temper
and attitude of the nation at this moment. The
popular enthusiasm perhaps amused them a little
at first, but as the symptoms of its pervading
depth and intensity multiply, they are filled with
unaffected astonishment. To an Englishman,
however, who shares the common feeling, there is
nothing surprising in the matter. It admits of
the simplest and most natural explanation in the
world. The happy event which has roused the
country to a pitch of such unwonted enthusiasm
appeals directly to the deepest, most permanent,
and characteristic sentiments of the English people
—their love of home, and reverence for the re-
lationships, the sanctities, and the enjoyments of
domestic life. A marriage always awakens interest
and sympathy amongst all classes and in every
circle, however narrow and limited it may be, and
is thus pre-eminently an event which helps to bring
out the best and sunniest aide of the national cha-
racter. When the bride and bridegroom are young
and loveable, and their union, as the result of strong
mutual attachment, affords every prospect of
future happiness, the feelings of hope and sympa-
thy and congratulation are roused to unusual
intensity. This is, of course, pre-eminently the
case with the approaching marriage. It is • union
of mutual affection, where the characters of both
bride and bridegroom offer the fairest promise of
conjugal felicity and domestic enjoyment. The
marriage-day is thus regarded by the people at
large as the birthday not only of a new and
princely, but of a virtuous and a happy
home. The whole nation are therefore the friends
and hearty well-wishers of the happy
pair. No doubt this is a rather unusual feeling
in the case of a royal marriage, and we cannot for-
get at such a moment the providential circum-
stances in our recent history as a nation that have
brought it about. The enthusiastic welcome given
to the PHINCII and his Bride expresses the devoted
loyalty of the nation, and testifies in the most elo-
quent and emphatic manner to the place the Quints
holds in the hearts of her people. It is because the
Sovereign Mother livesin the affections of her people
that so joyful an event as the marriage of her first-
born
Son awakens such an enthusiastic feeling of
sympathy and congratulation amongst all classes
of her subjects. Nor ought we to forget that the
deep hold which the Sovereign has on the
respect and affection of the people is due
not to her exalted station, but to her
private worth and public virtues. When her present
MAJESTY ascended the throne the old traditional
feeling of loyalty had been sorely tried, and was
very seriously undermined. But the virtues of the
QUZEM not only revived all the native loyalty
of the nation, but established it on • new and
stronger basis, that of sincere and grateful attach-
ment to the person of the Sovereign. The nation
beheld with thankfulness and delight • spectacle
rarely seen in any age or any country. The per-
sonal and domestic virtues which it prized
most highly, as the source of individual excel-
lence, social worth, and national prosperity, were
illustrated in all their purity and strength in the
highest household of the realm. In the discharge
of her duties as a wife and • mother, the Sovereign
was • noble example to the humblest of her sub-
jects. We see the result in the gratitude and
affection of a whole people. There is no doubt
another element which gives special intensity
to the expression of national rejoicing at the pre-
sent moment. The tie between the Sovereign
and the nation has during the last two years been
deepened by the sacred bond of sorrow. The na-
tion sympathised with the Royal mourner in her
heavy bereavement ; and now that a gleam of joy
comes once more to lighten that sorrowing heart,
the whole people, under an irresistible impulse of
sympathy, is anxious to share it. Having wept
with the widow in her sorrow, it claims to rejoice
with the mother in her joy.

ebt Court.

WINDSOR CASTLE, MAaca 5.

The Queen, accompanied by the Princess Louie
of Hens, dro►e ant yesterday afternoon, attended by Lieu-
tenant-Colonel the Hoo. D de Roe.

Her Majesty, accompanied by the Crown Prince and
Princess of Prussia, walked in the grounds this morning.
The Prince and Princess Louis of Heise drove.
The Prince of Wales, asd the Crown Prince and Princess
of Prussia returned from Loudon last night.
The Duke of Cambridge visited the Crown Prince and
Primer of Prussia.
The Right Hoe. Sir George Grey arrived at the Castle
last night, and bad as audience of the Queen.

At the Drawing.rooni, held on Saturday, Mies Best wee
presented by Mrs. H. Y. Hest.

The Lord Mayor, Sir Francis Graham Moon, Bart, the
City Remembrancer, and the City Solicitor, bad an inter-
view with Secretory Sir George Grey yesterday at the
Home-office.

A deputation from the Natal Central Railway Company,
accompanied by representative; of the Natal Land Com-
pany and Natal Cotton Company, introduced by Viscount
Strathallan, had an interview with the Duke of Newcastle
yesterday at the Colonial-ofßoe.

The flight Hon. Sir George Grey returned to town
yesterday morning from Windmir Clad&

)OrAIUKSEI‘'".