The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-15 00:00:00

Vie Court.

WINDSOR CASTLE, MAT 14.
The Queen went to London this morning,
accompanied by the Princess Helena.
Her Majesty travelled by special train to Paddington,
and was escorted by a detachment of the 14th Hussars
to Buckingham Palace.
In attendance were Lady Churchill, the Hon. Flora
Macdonald, the Hon. Mary Lascelles, Lord Alfred Paget,
and Colonel the Hon. A. Hardinge.
Lady Augusta Loftus had the honour of dining with
the Queen and the royal family yesterday.
The Duke de Nemours and Princess Margaret visited
the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Viscount Bury had an audience of the Queen, and
resigned his office as Treasurer of her Majesty's Household•
Lord Otho Fitzgerald had an audience of tho Queen,
and kissed bands on receiving the office of Treasurer of
her Majesty's Household.
The Queen presented to Mr. Samuel Popplestone the
Albert Medal for his meritorious service in saving life from
a wreck off the Start Point ore the lird March. This is
the first occasion on which her Majesty has conferred this
honourable distinction. Mr. Popplestone was introduced
to her Majesty by the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson.
The Lord and Groom in Waiting to her Majesty were in
attendance.

Her Majesty left Buckingham Palace at half-past five
o'clock for Windsor Castle.
Messieurs Dickinson and Tilt were honoured with a
sitting from the Queen on Saturday for a drawing (from
photograph).

The Prince of Wales presided yesterday at a meeting of
the Council of his Royal Highness, held at the office of the
Duchy of Cornwall, Buckingham-gate, St. James's park.
There were present the Lord Portman, Lord Warden of
the Stannaries ; Sir Wm. John Alexander, Attorney-Gene-
ral;Major-Gen. Sir T. Myddelton Biddulph, Receiver
General ; Lieutenant-General Knollys, Comptroller of the
Household of his Royal Highness ; Herbert William
Fisher, Esq., Keeper of the Privy Seal ; and the Earl of
Leicester.

Sir Thos. Myddelton Biddulph took the oath, on his
appointment as a member of the council of his Royal
Highness.
Mr. Bateman, the Secretary, attended as Clerk of the
CounciL
The Prince of Wales went to the House of Lords in the
afternoon.

Prince Alfred, by her Majesty's desire, honoured Mr.
S. F. Ansell by a visit to Bernard-street, to inspect his
plans for indicating the presence of fire-damp and choke-
damp in coal and iron mines.

Despatches were received at the Colonial-office yesterday
from the Governors of the West India Islands, British
Columbia, Vancouver's Island, New Zealand, Tasmania,
South Australia, Victoria, and Malta.

SAILORS' ORPHAN GIRLS' SCHOOL AND HOME.
—Prince Alfred has graciously consented to take the
chair at a special public dinner in aid of the funds of this
charity, on the Bth of June.
The Prince of Wales honoured Lord Harris
with his company to dinner last evening at his lordship's
residence in South-street, Grosvenor-square. A select
party was invited to meet his royal highness.
Prince A'fred honoured the Earl and Countess
of Hardwicke with his presence at dinner last evening, at
the family residence in Portman-square. The following
had the honour of meeting his royal highness:—The
Marquis of Normanby and Lady Laura Phipps, Viscountess
Royston, Viscount and Viscountess Barrington, the Hon.
Mies Harrington, the Hon. Chas. Barrington, Mr. Vivian,
Mr. H. Mackenzie, and Hon. Eliot Yorke, in waiting on
Prince Alfred. Later in the evening the noble countess
had a small and early reception.

The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer and Mrs. Gladstone received a select party at dinner
last evening, at the family mansion on Carlton-terrace.

After dinner .Mrs. Gladstone had a small reception.

The Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, M.P., and
Lady Emily Peel received the Earl and Countess of Bess-
borough, the Earl and Countess of Wilton, the Earl and
Countess of Chesterfield, the Earl Annesley, Viscount
Falmouth, Viscount Canterbury, Sir Henry and Lady
Sophia des Vieux, Baron Meyer de Rothschild, Mr. G.
Craven, Colonel Daniels, Colonel Higgins, Mr. Payne, Mr.
Savile, and Mr. Wellesley, at dinner yesterday in White-
hall-gardens.

Miss Burdett Coutts's banquet and evening con-
cert, to meet their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cam.
bridge and the Princess Mary of Cambridge, is fixed for
Friday, Jane 1. Miss Burdett Coutts'a second concert
will take place on Wednesday, June 13.
Mrs. W. E. Gladstone has kindly placed her
house, on Friday evening next, at the disposal of the
council of the Convalescent Home in connexion with the
Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital, for a concert in aid
of the funds of the above institution. The performers
will be amateurs, under the leadership of the Hon. Sey-
mour Egerton. Amongst the lady patronesses are the
Duchess of Newcastle, the Countess of Fitzwilliam, Lady
Constance Grosvenor, Lady Louisa Pennant, Baroness
Ferdinand de Rothschild, the Lady Mayoress, &c. The
president of the council is the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer.

The annual ball in aid of the funds of the York-
shire Society's Charity took place last night at Willis's-
rooms. There was a fancy quadrille, the ladies and gen-
tlemen being in Spanish costume, the former wearing
dresses of blue and red satin. Dancing was kept up till a
late hour to the music of Coote's band ; and in every
respect the ball was a success.
The seventh anniversary of the National Con-
servative Registration Association was held yesterday,
under the presidency of the Karl of Shrewsbury and
Talbot. The report mentioned the services the society had
rendered to the party at the last election in several coun-
ties, and the general result of its operations as satisfactory.
The society, however, appears to have been much cramped
for want of funds ; and besides an appeal to all earnest
oonservativsa for support, it was suggested by the chairman
that each of the members of the three conservative clubs
should be asked to subscribe • guinea additional in aid of
this organisation.

The Rev. Henry Edmund Miles, M.A., has been,
on his corn petition es patron, instituted by the Lord
Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol to the rectory of
Huntley, in the county of Gloucester, vacant by the
resignation of the Rev. Daniel Capper.

HEALTH OF THE BISHOP OF LONDON.—The Bishop
of London, who is still at Hastings, has so far progrsused
towards recovery that he hopes to be able to return to
Fulham Palace on Saturday next, with a view to holding
a general ordination on Tnnity Sunday.