The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-21 00:00:00

the (curt.

WINDSOR CASTLE, MAT 20.

The ceremony of laying the first stone of the
Hal of Arta and Sciences, at South Kensington, wan per-
formed this morning by her Majesty.
The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise, Princess
Beatrice, Prince Leopold, and Prince Christian, left
Windsor at twenty-five minutes to 11 o'clock, by special
train on the Great Western Railway, for London.

The suite in attendance consisted of the Countess of
Caledon, Duly Caroline Barrington, the Hon. Lucy Kerr,
the Hon. Emily Cathcart, Viscount Hawarden, the Hon.
Mortimer Sackville West, Major-General Sir T. M. Bid-
dulph, Colonel H. Ponsonby, Lient.-Colonel G. G. Gordon,
Mr. Sahl, and the Master of the Household.

Her Majesty was received at the Paddington Station by
the Duchess of Wellington (Mistress of the Robes), the
Duke of Beaufort (Muter of the Horse), and Lieut.-
General the Hon. C. Grey (Equerry in Waiting).
A procession was then formed, consisting of six of her
Majesty's carriages, each drawn by four horses, and pro-
ceeded in the following order to South Kensington :
First carriage, conveying the Hon. Mortimer Sackville
West (Groom-in-Waiting), Mr. Sahl (Gentleman in Attend-
ance on Prince Leopold), and Colonel G. G. Gordon (in
attendance on Prince Christian). Second carriage, con-
veying Lieut.-General Hon. C. Grey and Colonel H. Pon-
sonby (Equerries in Waiting), Major-General Sir T. M.
Biddulpb, K.C.B. (Keeper of her Majesty's Fri../
Purse), and Sir John Cowell, K.C.B. (Muter of the Home-
hold). Third carriage, conveying Lady Caroline Barrington
(the Lady Superintendent), the Hon. Lucy Kerr and the
Hon. Emily Cathcart (Maids of Honour). Fourth carriage,
conveying the Duchess of Wellington (Mistress of the
Robes), the Countess of Caledon (Lady in Waiting), and
Viscount Hawarden (Lord in Waiting). Fifth carriage,
conveying Prince Leopold, Prince Christian, and the Duke
of Beaufort (Master of the Horse). Sixth carriage, con-
veying the Queen, Princess Louise, and Princess Beatrice.
An escort of Life Guards accompanied the procesidon,
and the Royal Horse Guards kept the ground in the Park.
_ . _

On the Queen's arrival at the site of the hall her Ma-
jesty was received by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of
Edinburgh, Prince Arthur, the Duke of Cambridge, and all
the members of the provisional committee. The Grand
Duke, Grand Duchess, and the Hereditary Grand Duke of
Mecklenburg-Strelits met the Queen at the entrance to the
tent.

The following great of of state were awaiting the
arrival of her Majesty at the tent covering the site of the
central hall:—The Earl of Tankerville (Lord Steward),
the Earl of Bradford (Lord Chamberlain), Lord Claud
Hamilton (Vice Chamberlain), Viscount Royston (Comp-
troller of the Household), General the Earl of Lucan,
K.C.B. (Gold Stick in Waiting), Colonel the Hon. Dudley
do Roe (Silverstick in Waiting), and Colonel H. P. de
Bathe (Field Officer in Brigade Waiting).
A guard of honour of the Coldstream Guards, with the
band of the regiment, was mounted at the entrance.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, detailed in another
column, the procession was then formed in the same order
as on her Majesty's arrival, and proceeded down Rotten-
row and Constitution-hill.

On reaching Buckingham Palace, Prince Leopold and
Prince Christian and the ladies and gentlemen of her
Majesty's suite passed into the court-yard, whilst her
Majesty, Princess Louise and Princess Beatrice, attended
by the Countess of Caledon, proceeded to Marlborough-
house and ♦isited the Princess of Wales.
The Equerries in Waiting .ere also in attendance.
The Queen, accompanied by Princess Beatrice, and at-
tended by the Countess of Caledon and the equerries in
waiting, left Marlborough-house at a quarter-past 1 o'clock,
and drove in a carriage-and-four up Constitution-hill and
through the park to the railway station at Paddington,
escorted by a detachment of the 3rd Hussars.

Prince Leopold and Prince Christian, and the ladies and
gentlemen in waiting, met her Majesty at the railway sta-
tion, and returned with her Majesty to Windsor, arriving
at the Castle at a quarter-past 2 o'clock.

l'rinceu Louise, attended by Lady Caroline Barrington
and the Hon. Mortimer Backville West, returned to
Windsor at 7 o'clock.

The Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Duke of
Edinburgh, and attended by Major-General Lord F.
Paulet, Viscount Royston, Major Teesdale, and Major
Alison, arrived in London yesterday morning from Paris.
The Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Duke of Edin-
burgh, drove in state to South Kensington, and was pre-
sent at the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the
new Hall of Arta and Sciences.

Their Royal Highnesses were attended by Lord F.
Paulet, Lord A. Hervey, General Sir William Knoßya,
Major Teesdale, Mr. Haig, and Mr. Herbert Fisher.

A Committee of the Lords of her Majesty's Moat Ho-
nourable Privy Council sat yesterday at the Privy Council-
office, Whitehall, on the subject of the cattle plague. The
Lords present were the Lord President, the Duke of Rich•
mond, Lord Robert Montagu, and the Right Honourable
Stephen Cave. Mr. Harrison and Dr. Alexander Williams
attended the committee.

D, spat:tea were received yesterday at the Caonial.
office from the Governors of the Ana ralian colonies, Hong
Kong, Ceylon, Malta, Gibraltar, and St. Helena.

CHRISTENING OP THE INFANT SON OF PRINCE
AND PRINCESS CHRISTIAN, AT WINDSOR
CASTLE.

WINDSOR, TUESDAY.

This morning the preparations at the royal palace
of Windsor for the christening of the infant son and firs
child of Prince and Princess Christian were commenced at
an early hour. The program of her royal highness to-
wards convalescence since her recent accouchement has
been highly satisfactory, and consequently it was
arranged that the baptismal ceremony should
take place at an early day during the Queen's residence at
Windsor. Just recently Prince and Princess Christian of
Schleswig•Holstein have taken up their residence at Frog-
more House, which but lately was the favourite abode of
the Prince and Princess of Wales. Her Majesty, however,
it would appear is anxious to have Princess Helena near
her, hence the allotment of Frogmore House as a residence
for the Princess and her husband. For some months improve-
ments have been in progress at Frogmore, which by the aid
of the decorator and upholsterer has been formed into a
delightful retreat, lovely as it was even in the time of the
late Duchene of Kent, the Queen's mother. The Prince
and Princess have now their own establishment, at the
head of which is M. d'Englehesrt, who bail a private
residence in the grounds assigned to him. By these arrange-
ments her Majesty, while at Windsor, will be able to
enjoy the society of her daughter, whose home is as it were
within a stone's throw of the Castle itself. But as the
accommodation at Frogmore would have been found
inadequate for the entertainment of the large party of
guests who have been invited, her Majesty determined to
receive them at Windsor Castle, the ceremony taking
place in the private chapel adjoining the famous St.
George's-hall. About sixty guests had the honour of being
invited to be present upon the happy occasion, among
whom were hie Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and
the Duke of Cambridge.
The weather at Windsor was extremely unpleasant du r.
ing the morning, the rain falling in heavy showers ; as,
however, the rejoicings were of course celebrated within
the Castle, this interfered but little with the comfort of
the guests.
At 11 o'clock the beautiful suite of royal wait.
ing and retiring rooms on the down platform of the
Paddington terminus were prepared for the recep,
Lion of the Prince and his fellow guests. Fires
were lighted as the weather was somewhat chilly.
Among the first to arri-e were the Earl of Derby, Lord
Granville, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Dean of
Westminster. Then came his Serene Highness
Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, the Grand Duke and
Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the Duke of Beaufort,
and other personages. Prince Arthur and his Royal High-
ness the Duke of Edinburgh came next, and the Duke of
of Cambridge, attended by Colonel Macdonald, Lieutenant
Haig, &c. These awaited the coining of his Royal Highness
the Prince of Wales, who, with General Kuollys
and Major Teesdale, reached the station from Marl.
borough House at 11.40 in a close carriage. They
arrived at Windsor at about a quarter past 12 o'clock. The
Princes and their fellow-guests were to return to town at
half-past 3 o'clock this afternoon.

We have authority to contradict the tele-
graphic statement that their Royal Highnesses the
Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh were
present at the races at Chantilly, on Sunday, the
19th inst.