The Express.
London, England, 1860-06-25 00:00:00

Just as the last corps of the grand army had taken
up its allotted position, as the men had piled their
arms in • most soldierlike and professional manner,
and those who were not immediately in front bad
sunk down in picturesque groups upon the grass,
a few ominous drops from above reminded the vast
crowd of spectators that at no time in England
must the weather be wholly forgotten. It had a
curious effect at that moment to look along the
almost iaterminable galleries, and see what had
been before-all round hate and gay bonteta tutted,
as if by magic, into a forest of parasols and um-
brellas unfurled, like so many signal Yaffe, to announce
the return of our summer companion, the rain.
But it was only a hint ; the day, the occasion, and
the company were respected, and a very few addi-
tional moments were sufficient to restore to the
picture all its original brilliant tints.
The next great point of interest after the
arrival of the last corps of volunteers upon
the ground was, of course, the approach of
the Queen and the royal cavalcade. Her
Majesty's approach was soon made manifest
by the cheering which rose from every quarter
except the dense masses of the volunteers, who had
strict orders to preserve a stern and soldier-like
silence. Her Majesty could not fail to be highly
gratified at the sight which awaited her as she drove
slowlyi the park. On the one side stretched the
long galleries filled with gaily dressed company,
and behind them, as a gay background,
rose the mansions of Park-lane, their roofs and
windows equally crowded with happy faces.
Everywhere around, peeping through interstices,
preened againtt barriera, and some perched
up in trees, the great crowd waved and shouted,
and formed a dark, dense, moving human border
to the whole picture. The squadrons of Life
Guards excited, as they always do, unqualified
admiration. The stature of the men, the splendour
of the uniform, and the noble figures and docility
of the black horses, wanted only a few beams of
sunlight to make their appearance perfect So
regular were their movements as they proceeded
along at a gentle pace, that the click of the horses
hoofs sounded like the ticking of a clock, and the
whole squadron seemed as if impelled by one
mechanical movement. Opposite the galleries,
in the distant verge of the plateau, the
volunteer army had formed in line, in readi-
ness for the Queen's approach. "Black spirits
and white, blue spirits and grey," might almost
describe their long, firm, almost interminable
array, with just two specks of scarlet to mark the
position of those sons of Anak, the Six-foot Guards,
sad the well " dressed " front of the Finsbury
Grenadiers. Her Majesty was accompanied in the
carriage by the King of the Belgians, the Princess
Alias, and Prince Arthur, and around were clus-
tered on horseback the Prince of Wales, the Prince
Consort, the Duke of Cambridge, the Count of
Flanders, and Prince Jules of Holstein Gluks-
burg. Two other carriages followed, containing the
junior and collateral branches of the royal family,
and others followed, with the Minister and Under-
Secretary for War, and the great officers of the
household. The venerable Viscount Combermere,
the captor of Bhurtpore, and who 67 years ago
carried his country's colours at the battle of Lin-
cella*, rode in helm and cuirass as colonel of the
Ist Life Guards, and gold stick in waiting. His
lordship, who is upwards of eighty, was loudly
cheered by the people.
Her Majesty drove slowly up to the central flag-
staff, graciously acknowledging the cheers and other
demonstrations of loyal affection with which her
subjects of all ranks eagerly greeted her, and now
the volunteers showed how well they had learned
their first lesson, by giving the salute and "present"
along the whole line. Well and soldierly it was
done, and it would be impossible to award it higher
praise. The royal procession was on the move a
few minutes after, and as it slowly crossed the park
towards the troops • new effect was given by the
brilliant uniforms of the Stall; the noble horses, and
the incomparable bearing of the Life Guards.
Having arrived at the extreme right, the cort4ge
and the Queen proceeded slowly down the whole
line, which was formed in the following order :

FIRST DIVISION.
LisatarateGeneral Sir J. F. Leas amtmauding.
RID AND Wang FLae, ILLNAILD X. V.
Hie Orate the Due of Mushester: let Huntingdonshire
Mauled Riles (ILialteltee).
Captain Mellen Surrey Negated Mee (Clapham).
Lard Gc' Ilth Dave* : the Hoe. Artillery
Cosepsey ot
Captain N'teed of X`Leal : the lit Middlesex Engineer
Volution (South Kensington) ; Captain the Hon. T. C.
Bruce, 32nd 'easx (ilaymear.place).
BLVI ILae, NAWD A. B.

AsTwain SZIOADF.
Cokes' Wick, &A., oommaading ;
North, C.D., B.A.