The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-26 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 26, 1861.

THE FUNERAL OF HER LATE ROYAL
HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF KENT.

[Frees the Daily Nei n.]
The last wishes of the illustrious Princess who so
recently has departed from amongst us were most
religiously attended to in all the details of the plain
but impressive ceremonial of which St. George's
Chapel, Windsor, was yesterday the scene. Frog-
more, the tranquil retirement in which her Royal
Highness the Duchess of Kent lived for so many
years, and where she ultimately died, being but a
short distance from Windsor Castle, the removal
the body to the royal mausoleum occupied but a
vary small portion of the early morning. In
Windsor itself, the appearance of the town marked
the presence of a great sorrow and recent calamity
mewled to the meet careless observer. Resumes
was entirely suspended, all the shops and places of
business were closed, every blind was down, and a
very few persons glided through the streets or
stood at the corners conversing in groups, deco-
rously sad affectionately, about the niany virtues
of the deceased royal lady. Her Royal High-
nese's character formed an especially fruit-
ful theme, it being now disclosed, what her
Royal Highness had never allowed to be
mentioned during her lifetime, that numbers
of poor persons, and many familice residing
between Frognaore and Windsor, had for years been
supported by her bounty. It would be impossible,
in fact, to over-describe the appearance of grave
sorrow, spontaneous decorum, and respectful affec-
tion which was observable in the countenance and
deportment of every person whom one met in
pssni:ig onward to the Castle.
Th.. weather, which had been so remarkably fine
and open during the previous week, had yesterday
morning suddenly assumed a gloom which bar-
!lionised strikingly with the sorrowful business of '
the day. The sky seemed like one vast pall ; a dim, '
sullen mist rose everywhere from the ground ; and
a sparse but continuous dropping of rain typified
the bitter tears which thousands were made to shed
by the calamity of which the funeral ceremonial
was to be the climax. The royal standard drooped
sadly over the great tower and the bells of St.
Georje's Chapel and of St. John's Church tolled at
the lung intervals usual on such melancholy occasions.
A guard of honour of the Scotch Fusilier Guards,
under the command of Lieut.-Col. Hepburn, was
drawn up in the court-yard of the Castle, and the
entrance to the chapel was kept by the metropolitan
police, under the direction of Inspector Walker, by
whom the whole of the police arrangements were
admirably carried out. A temporary eutranoe-hall,
covered all over with black cloth, had been erected,
and through this the few persons who had been
favoured with tickets of admission passed into the
chapel. The place allotted for the spectators was
the organ-gallery, which being centrally situated
between the nave andchoir, afforded excellent facili-
ties fur seeing the whole of the ceremonial. When
we entered at ten o'clock there were nut a dozen
spectators in the chapel, and the number received
but a very inconsiderable increase during the re-
mainder of the proceedings. The appearance of the
nave, with its tall white Gothic supports, and cold
stained glom windows, was almost spectral,
and the effect was made complete by the
intense black of the raised platform which
ran down the centre to the entrance of the choir.
In a little chapel to the right a few undertaker's
men were completing the last details of ti sir
melancholy task, and then occasional whispers
rose into the air with a singular and almost awful
distinctness, so perfect was the general stillness of
the rest of the interior. It was a relict to the
eye to turn towards the choir with its elaiprate
oak carving, its warmly-toned window, and its
riehly-decorated communion table, upon which the
whole of the costly sacramental plate was die.
played. Here, as iu the nave, the Soot and seats
were covered with black, and close to the base of
the communion table, an oblong space marked
out with a broad white band, told mutely but ex-
primitively what was to be the crowning act of the
solemn pageantry. The distinguished visitors who
received the Queen's commands to attend made
their appearance punctually at the appointed hour.
The three cabinet ministers, Lord Palmerston,
Lord John Russell, and Earl Granville, entered
together, and were conducted to their seats, and
the remaining seta, about half a dozen on eauh
side, were speedily but noiselessly occupied.
At live minutes to 11 o'clock one solemn note
from the chapel bell announoed the commencement'
of the ceremonial, and the funeral procession
entered the nave in the following order, which it
will be perceived differs in some particulars from
the programme which has been published :

l'agse of her late Royal Higlmess7-11r.lia and Mr.
Dressers of her late Ro;al.BPrilinighomm—llias Wsguer, Mies
Km/abler, sad Ras &mak
Secretary to the Comptroller of her late Royal Highness's

Household—Mr. W. Seabrook:

Medical attendiuste apes her late Royal Highness—
Mr. J. Merrimse, NO, sad Mr. Henry Brown.
Equerry to her late Royal wees—Colouel Stephens.
The Representative of his Royal the Duke of Sate.
Coburg Gotha—The Baron Lowenfela.
The Representative of his Majesty the King of Hanover—
Lieutenant-General Baron Hammerstein,
Captain von Mashing., A.D.C.
The Representative of hie Majeety the Kiss of the Bel-
gians, Lieut.Gsneral the Hoe. SarEdward Cost, K.C.H.
Comptroller of the Household and Equerry to her Royal
Highness the Duchess of Carobndge, Lieutenant.
Colonel Home Purses.

Chamberlain to beirE;yal Highar the Crown hisicesa of
Pram* Omit Ft/Mantel&
Equerry in Waiting to the Equerry in Waiting to the
Friar* Consort, Coloo el the Queen, Major. Gen. the
Hon. Arthur Hardioge, Hon. Charles Grey.
C.B.
Groom of the Bedchamber to Groom in Waiting to the
the Priam Consort, Colccel queen, the Hun. Mortimer
Francis Seymour, C. B. tiackrille-West.
Lard of the Bedchamber to Lord in Waiting to the
the Prince Contort, the queen, the Earl of Caith-
Lord Waterpark. now.
Tin Choir of Windsor.
The Capons of Windsor.
The Doan of Windsor.
THE CORONET

el her Isle Royal Highlem., isrriMbris3lonol the Lord James
Murray, Equerry to ber late Royal Highness.
Comptroller in the The Lord Cham- The V ice.Chmt-
. l!etd Chamber- Mukha berlain.

lain'e Department. h 4 -ii;"
The Hoe. B.Poneoeby. Vied. Sydney. Vied. Castlnoue.
Supporters of the Pall :
The lAdy Fanny
The Llid,Yuce, AWraita THE The Lady Katherine
The Lady Susan Lee. Verson Harcourt.
lie Melville. BODY. The Hon. Lady
DowagerLedyConpar. Coat.

Garter King of Anna, Sir Marks Young.
THE CHIVY MOURNER,
HIS ROYAL HIGHNDIS THE PRINCE CONSORT,
supported by
His Royal Theism the Prises ci Wales,
and
His Swan Higher, the Prince of Leiningen,
aed attended by
The Earl Spencer. Groom of the Stole Whim Royal Highness.
His Royal Highness Prince Arthur.
His
His }Rightism
the Dike of Cambridge.
His Rightism the Count de Pari.
His Higkeses the Duke de Necnoun.
His Royal theism the Duke de Chartism.
His Roil Highs's= the Duke &Alm:icon.
His Royal hone Prince Philip of Wwiemberg.
His Serene H. new Prison Edward of Saxe-Weimar.
His Serene Highness Prince Frederic of Sleewig-Holstein-
Augustenburg.
MB SONY Highness Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-
Lagigenburg.
Equerry Governor
to his Royal Highness to his Royal Highness
the Prises of Wales, the Prince ci Wales,
Lithieseat-Celonel Koppel. Major-Gen. Hon. R. Bruce.
Gomm' to his Royal Higher, the Prime Arthur,
Major Elplunthose, V.C.
Equerry to hie Royal Highnessh the Duke of Cambridge,
Geetlewen.in-Waiting es their Hovel Highnesses the Count
de Pane, and the Deka de Chartree,
the Marquis de Beenvoir.
Gentieweivin•Waitiog to his Royal Higher= Prince Philip
of Wurtemberg, Captain Berea de Ostessiberg.

The coffin, which was large and massive, was
covered with a pall of black velvet, on each of the
falling sides of which three escutcheons were elabo-
rately embroidered in gold and heraldic colours.
His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, in his
rapacity of chief mourner, followed it at a short
interval. On his Royal Highness's right hand
walked their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales
and Prince Arthur, the heir apparent taking the
outside place, and on his left walked his Serene
Highness the Prince of Leiningen. His Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge followed imme-
diately after, and then came the remainder of the
royal procession, the places immediately behind the
royal family of England being filled by the invited
members of the ex-royal family of France and the
German relations of the deceased. It is almost
needless to say that the delivery of the first portion
of the Burial Service by the choir, as the procession
passed slowly up the Dave, was solemn and im-
pressive. The singing of the royal choir is well
known, and the skill and judgment of Dr. Elvey,
the organist, generally appreciated. The anthem
(Luther's Hymn) was splendidly sung by Mr. Tolley,
• young tenor recently added to the choir, and to
whom the duty had been specially allotted by direc-
tion of the Prince Consort. When the coffin
had been placed on the trowels upon which
it was to remain until lowered into the
vault the Prince Consort took his seat at the head,
the pall was removed, and it was seen to be covered
with the richest crimson velvet, elaborately deco-
rated with gilt mouldings. The coronet was then
placed on the lid, and the distinguished personage.
who assisted at the ceremony having taken their
appointed places, the concluding portion of the
Burial Service was most impressively read by the
Dean of Windsor, whilst the body was being
slowly lowered into the entrance to the royal vault.
We believe that, as by the desire of her late Royal
Highness the Duchess of Kent her remains are to
find their final resting place in the vault now in
course of construction at Frogmore, the body was

depoMted outside the royal mausoleum, which on
tlua on:salon remained unopened.

The following is a correct list of distinguished persons
who had the honour to receive the Queen's commands to
attend the funeral of her late Royal Highness, and were'
conducted to seats in the choir of Pe. George's Chapel :
Mons. Van de Weyer, the Belgian Minister.
The Count Kielmaosegge, the tiaooverian Minister.
The Count de lavradin, the Portuguese Minister.
The Count de Bernstveff, the Prussian Minister.
The Count Vitzthum, the Saxon Minister.
The Viscount Palmerston,K.G., G.C.8., First Lord of the
The Earl Granville, R.G!.Presidena of the Council.
The Lord John Russell, Paeretary of Stele for Foreign
Affairs.