The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-17 00:00:00

THE STATUE OP THE PRINCE CONSORT AT

BALMORAL.

is briefly stated by telegraph yesterday, the
eeremony of unveiling the statue of his late Royal High-
ness the Prince Consort at Balmoral took place on Tun.
day, in presence of her Majesty the Queen and the other
members of the royal family and the tenantry on the
royal estates. To erect a statue of her lamented consort
at no great distance from her favourite residence, and to
make it over, as it were, to those for whom he ever bald
• high esteem— the tenantry—has (says the Sotssion)
been a favourite idea with her Majesty, and it was fully
and handsomely realised by the inauguration of
Tuesday. The weather, unfortunately, was very un-
favourable, being, indeed, the worst day of the
sewn, particularly during the ceremony, when
rain fell in torrents without intermission. It was by no
means what we are accustomed to call " Queen's weather."
In fact, it was remarked that rain fell heaviest during the
time of the ceremony, and when it was over the weather
cleared up, and remained fair. The attendance embraced,
as stated, those resident on the estates, their wives,
families and servants, making in all, despite unfavourable
weather, some 300 persons present.

The site of the statue is about half a mile to the east
or the castle, on the south side of the Dee, and almost
directly opposite the church of Crathie. Parties who visit
Deeside have observed on a wooded eminence, in the line
we have stated, an obelisk erected by the tenantry to mark
their regard for the worth of the Prince Consort. About
• hundred yards due west from this, and on the
same level, her Majesty has erected the statue to her
husband. Some time ago Mr. Theed received the coin-
minion to execute it, and it is understood, by the sumps.
tion of the Queen, did so in • style stilted to her wishes.
Certainly the artist has done his work well. His royal
highness is represented in bronze as • Highland chief in
full costume, something similar in many respects to the
well-known painting by John Phillip. The pedestal, •
rough natural cairn of huge granite boulders, tapers to •
height of 10i feet, when it appears on the ledge of • rock.
On this the figure, 13} feet high, stands. The left leg is
slightly advanced, and resting on the edge, while the right
leg is slightly retired. A favoured staghound's head is
leaning against the right knee, and the right hand is
placed on the dog's head. The left hand grasps a rifle
near the muzzle. The statue is, in fact, a reproduction of
the marble statue by the same artist at the foot of the
grand staircase in Balmoral Castle. The Prinoe is role.
seated bareheaded, with • Glengarry cap lying at his foot,
Better or more commanding sites might have been found,
and to some it would suggest itself that the base might
have been broader. As it stands, however, with ferns
growing out from the crevices of the great boulders, it looks
natural, and though at some distance from tha road will
form a prominent figure to passers by. Mr. Theed may be
congratulated on the completion of his snowed ul labours
in representing in bronze the figure of the silent father of
" our Kings to be," as he was best known in his outgoings
and incomings among his tenantry.
The ceremony of unveiling the statue and presenting it
to the tenantry was fixed to take place at eleven, and by
that hour all had assembled around it. A detachment of
the 15th, and the depot battalion of forty men, under the
command of Captain Hislop, of the 93rd, was drawn up on
the south-east of the statue ; while the tenantry and others
formed a semi-circle on • slight ridge to the west. In the
hollow, space was left close by the base of the statue for
the Queen and royal family. Shortly after the appointed
hour her Majesty arrived in • aloes carriage, accompanied
by their Royal Highnesses Primer... Christian, Loniae, and
Beatrice. In the second carriage were Prince Christian
and Prince Leopold. The others in attendance were Sir
Thomas Biddulph, General Grey, Colonel Ponsonby, Hon.
Mrs. Gordon, he. Her Majesty was received with the
royal salute, and took her place in the hollow between the
princesses ; Prince Christian and Prince Leopold stood on
their right.
On the call of Dr. Robertson, her Majesty's commis.
stoner, the Crathie choir, led by Mr. P. S. Kidd, sang the
"Old Hundred," and immediately after the Rev. Mr.
Taylor, of Crathie, offered • suitable prayer. At the
request of her Majesty the statue was then uncovered, the
guard in attendance presented arms, and her Majesty's
and the Prince of Wales' pipers struck up • pibroch. The
spectators, notwithstanding the torrents of rain which fell

during the whole ceremony, and particularly so at this
moment, looked anxiously at the statue, a: d few present
who had seen the living figure but admired its truth-
fulness.

Dr. Rosattrsow, then advancing to where the loyal party
stood, Mid:—" May it please your Majesty,—The tenants
and servants of your Majesty now assemble I h ,se r, quested
me to convey to your Majesty their humble and grateful
thanks for the magnificent memorial of their beloved mas-
ter which has now been exposed to their view. Permit
me to assure your Majesty that we shall look upon that
statue, not merely as a work of art, however excellent that
is—not merely as a memorial of conjugal love and affec-
tion, but as an embodiment of every noble and manly
virtue—as a model for our imitation. As we look upon
that silent monitor, It may wake to our remembrance the
love of truth, the love of doing good, cf being useful to
our fellow-men—it may remind us o' the hatred of via,
the instinctive shrinking from everything selfish, mean, or
dishonourable, which characterised the living original:
and the lesson to each of us, I hope, will he—' Go ye and
do likewise."'

The military then fired a feu-dr. joie, and after Mr. Kidd
and his excellent choir sang the national iothem, the
ceremony ended with hearty cheers. joined in by all. tier
Majesty, who appeared to be in exceedingly good spirits,
frequently bowed her ackn mledgments. Despite the
heavy rain the royal party stood, although it moat be said
under the worst possible circumstances, and during the
singing of the anthem, almost all the spectators un-
covered. The Queen was dressed, as usual, in black.
Princess Louise bad on a black silk dress, trimmed with
cord and white. Princess Beatrice wore a Stuart tartan
dress, with black jacket ; and Princess Christian had ou a
black dress, with Balmoral tartan plaid. Prince Leopold
was in full Highland costume.

The arrangements, under the special superintendence of
Dr. Robertson, were admirable, and bad it not been for the
very heavy rain everything would have passed pleasantly.
The ceremony lasted fully twenty II Inutes, and at its doss
her Majesty and family guard of ghillies were photographed
by special request by Mew-. Downey. Ne c.tstl=. By re-
quest also, Mr. Thomas, of Landon, a=t lido! for =he pur•
pose of sketching the scene for her M. je=ty. Before leav-
ing her Majesty called for Dr. Robertson, and expressed to
him her admiration of the manner in which everything had
been conducted. She also requested him to carry her
thanks to all who bad taken part in the ceremony.

The death is announced of M. F. Dubner, an
accomplished Greek *choler. Like most great Hellenists,
U. Dubner was a German by birth, but had long settled in
Paris. His industry was equal to his learning ; his editions
and abridgments of Greek classics for the use of schools
were very numerous, but his chief claim to the gratitude of
scholars rests in his contributions to the new edition of
0 Stephen's Thesaurus," on which he was engaged con-
jointly with the late K. Huse, mad his "Scholia on Aria.
tophanee." DL Dubner was in Lie 61th year.