The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-23 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S VISIT TO PARIS.

PARIS, TUESDAY NIGHT.
As the proceedings of to-day are very interest-
ing, we subjoin an extended account of them :
The Queen, the Emperor, Prince Albert, the Prince
of Wales, and the Princess Royal, after breafasting at
St. Cloud, set out a little before eleven o'clock for Ver-
sailles, and arrived at the palace in that town at about
twenty minutes past that hour. In the Avenue de St.
Cloud, by which the royal cortege entered Versailles,
was an elegant triumphal arch, on the front of which
was inscribed " Victoria and Albert," and on the back
" Napoleon and Eugenie." From the arch up to the
end of the avenue, troops and National Guards were
stationed on both sides of the road, and from the end of
the avenue to the palace the lines were formed by cui-
rassiers and carabiniers. At the arch, where the Queen
was received by the prefect and the local authorities, a
vast crowd was assembled, and they greeted her Majesty
with hearty cries of " Tive la Reine !" The Queen on
alighting from her carriage was received by M. Fould,
Minister of State, and by Count de Niewerkerke, direc-
tor of the Imperial Museums.
Her Majesty, who was attired in a light silk dress and
a white bonnet, took the Emperor's arm, and Prince
Albert gave his to the P:ncess Royal. The illustrious
party were then conducted up the marble staircase to
the " Salle du Sacae," where the Queen admired the
famous painting of the coronation of the Emperor Na-
poleon L by David, and the other great works of the
same artist which accompany it. The Emperor then led
the Queen through the " Salles de 1792 et 1793 " (they
contain portraits of the noted generals of that time and
scenes of some of their exploits), to the "Galerie des
Batailles " where are exhibited large paintings of some
of the great combats in which the French were victori-
ous. On leaving this gallery the Emperor led the
Queen to that which contains paintings of some of the
principal events in the revolution of 1830, in which King
Louis Philippe figured. The next gallery visited was
filled with statues of great Frenchmen, and then
returning to the Sallee de 1792 and du Sacre,
the Emperor conducted the Queen into what
were formerly the apartments of the unfortunate
Marie Antoinette, and which still bear her name.
Her Majesty examined these rooms with melancholy
interest, and put several questions respecting the everts
of which they were the theatre. The Emperor after-
wards led the Queen into the Galerie des Glaces, the
magnificent saloon entirely lined with looking glass, in
which the ball to her Majesty is to be given. When
passing by the once famous apartment called the tEil
de Bceuf, the Queen reached the bedchamber of Louis
XIV., which is very nearly in the same state as when
he occupied it. In this room the Queen stopped some
little time, and put several questions respecting le grand
monargue. The Queen afterwards proceeded to the
grands appartements du Roi Louis XIV.," and the
chapel, at which her Majesty expressed her admiration.
Next, proceeding to a little saloon near, the Queen
stopped for some time to inspect the painting of Napo-
leon Bonaparte dissolving the Legislature by force on
the 18th Brumaire. The Emperor afterwards conducted
the Queen to the private apartments of Louis XV. and
Louis XVI., and the library of Louis XVI. The next
part of the galleries to which the illustrious personages
proceeded was that containing paintings of the memo-
rable battles and events of the period comprised between
1800 and 1830. Here the Queen spent some little time.
The Emperor then led the Queen down stairs to the
"Galerie des Croisades," and called her attention to
several of the mot remarkable paintings it contains.
Prince Albert examined many pictures with great in-
terest, and before several he stayed so long that the
Queen and the Emperor, who walked rather rapidly,
went alone, and had more than once to wait until his
Royal Highness rejoined them. Whilst the illustrious
party were in the Salle des Croisades, a telegraphic
despatch was brought to the Emperor. His Majesty
read it with great attention, and then handed it to the
Queen. The Queen read it with evident interest, and
gave it to Prince Albert, who likewise man'fested much
interest in it. The Emperor then handed it to Lord
Clarendon and the Minister of State. It was whispered
amongst the gentlemen of the suite that it contained im-
portant news from Sebastopol.
Carriages were now brought up, and the illustrious
party proceeded, escorted by detachments of the Cent
Gardes, to visit the extensive grounds. The water-
works were in full play, and, as usual, produced a bril-
liant effect. The public were not admitted to the
palace during the Queen's visit, but they were freely ad-
mitted to the grounds, and they lined both sides of the
way which the royal cortege took. And as the Queen
passed, they shouted with enthusiasm " Vive la Reine !"
and the English portion of the spectators added to the
cry a vigorous " hurrah !" At the piece De Neptune,
the most splendid of the grandes eauz, the crowd was so
dense that it was not easy to snake a passage for the
royal cortege, and the acclamations were literally frantic.
The Emperor next conducted his distinguished guests
to the Palais de Trianon. Here lunch was prepared in
the " Ermitage," and covers were laid for 40. Just as it
was concluding, the Empress, to the great satisfaction
of the illustrious pasty, joined them from St. Cloud.
After lunch, the Emperor showed the Queen the two
Trianons and their grounds, which her Majesty admired
very much.
The illustrious personages, at about balfpast three,
set out to return to St. Cloud. The Queen and the
Empress were in the same carriage ; the Emperor, Prince
Albert, the Prince of Wales, acd the Princess Royal
being in another. The Queen frequently graciously
acknowledged the shouts of the people.
The weather was beautifully fine during the day, and

everything passed off without a single coizt reemps.
The appearance of the Queen of England at the Grand
Opera was one of the most interesting scenes we have
ever witnessed.

VISIT TO THE OPERA.—ENTHUSIASTIC
RECEPTION.
Long before the hour appointed for her Majesty's
coming, the whole line of Boulevards to the theatre was
occupied by a closely-packed crowd, and all the houses
were brilliantly lit up. The scene in the vicinity of the
Rue Lepelletier, where the theatre is situated, was of a
most fairy-like description. Every window was illumi-
nated with coloured lamps, and under the arch erected
across the Boulevard by the artistes of the Op ra. was
suspended a magnificent lustre, eight metres high by stx
in diameter, of topaz-colour lights, interspersed with
white globes of glass, resembling pearls, forming alto-
gether an object of wonder ful beauty. Lofty stands of
gas-jets, placed at the corners of the street and at equal
distances to beyond the entrance of the theatre, threw
out innumerable flumes of light, and rendered every ob-
je:t as clear as day. The whole front of the theatre was
ornamented with flowers, hangings, and shiel,ls bearing
the arms of England and France. The grand entrance
was hung with tapestry, and the pillars at the side
bore crimson velvet escutcheons with the letters A
and V, interlaced in letters of gold. A line of fire
ran along the frieze of the theatre, and the initials of
Queen Victoria and of the Emperor again stood out
in jets of gas from amidst this blaze of light.
Immense stands of living flowers adorned the
entrance ball and the grand staircase, and crimson velvet
hangings covered the sides. From the roof of the vesti-
bule were suspended splendid chandeliers containing
thousands of wax lights, and all up the thickly-carpeted
staircase similar additions had been arranged. The
municipal guard of Paris a pied stood close to each other
down both sides of the way outside, whilst the fine men
of the mounted guard lined the staircase leading to the
Imperial box. The six centre boxes bad been thrown
into one, so as to form a large room, advancing far into
the body of the house, the wooden separations from the
corridor being removed, and a wide communication
opened to the foyer, which is the finest in Paris. The
whole of this large space was richly carpeted and hung
with crimson velvet and gold, forming a suite of rooms
of considerable extent. Crimson satin chairs richly gilt,
and of such size as a'most to constitute thrones, were
placed for the august personages who were to form
"the cynosure of every eye." The aspect of this box,
as beheld from the interior of the theatre, was magni-
ficent. The whole of the front was one mass of
beautiful carving, rich gilt, with a lofty canopy
above, covered with crimson velvet hangings, embroidered
with gold lace in the Louis XIV. style, to match the
rest of the decoration. At the right coiner were placed
the arms of England, and on the left those of France,
whilst in the centre, the whole was denominated by a
large Imperial eagle with outstretched wings, the three
objects being resplendent with gold. Two of the Cent-
gardes, in their splendid uniform, stood immoveable as
statues at the foot of the box, one at each side, and two
others in a similar way at each side of the stage. These
men were relieved every quarter of an hour. The other
boxes were filled with all that Paris possesses of loveli•
nese, wealth, and high position. The ministers were in
various boxes in plain clothes. The Emperor's ordinary
box was occupied by Prince Adalbert of Bavaria, with
the gentlemen of his suite, and not far distant below were
seated the Countess de Montijo, and the Duchess
d'Albe, both glittering with diamonds. The high tune-
tionar:es present, with the exception of those on duty,
were all in plain ball-dress..
Exactly at a quarter past eight, the shouts of the mul-
titude outside announced that the Queen of England was
arriving. Every one then rose, and after a pause
of about half a minute, during which time every
eye was straining towards the State box, the Queen
appeared, led in by the Emperor. Then arose such a
peal of acclamations as few have ever beard equalled
hip
any theatre. The Queen seemed quite struck by t
ee
.
enthusiasm ot the reception, and advancing with.ogr%cw
ful dignity towards the front of the box, she curati..:l_l•l„
to the multitude before her. The cry of " Vivehl 'l'
ioug-con-
was over and over again repeated, and as
ueratsc eared to the
tinned shout arose, her Majesty g
ihnat the cheers began
audience, successively to the right, 1n
It was only after these saluteset e Empress,
and
to subside ; and then the En3pero tb
ainfroent, and to the
as if to show
Prince Albert, who bad
the enthusiastic receptionof the
all this homage and burst
that it was for her alone tom: anced, and another deafen-
remained _r:setehne: behind uring
of feeling were inten which
cries " Viva l'Empereur !"
Queen' was then
ins shout arose, "1 and " Vive rlmperatrice
viva Prince Albezt
were intermingled.
acclamations
played by
d. After the august party bad saluted the audi-
ence,the band, and"G „God
Savo the
tbhuerst of
follo wte e
hQueen and the Empress took their seats to-
(Aeon occupied the seat at the
gether, the Emperor placing himself at Queen Victoria's
and the Princess Mathilde that at
right, Prince Albert being seated at the Impress Eu-
Egemnipee'rsolre,sft.
right, Princea
Prince Albert's left. The back of the box was filled
with the ladies and officers of the Imperial households.
The ladies and gentlemen of the Queen's suite were
seated in the various boxes on the first tier. The Prin-
cess Royal and the Prince of Wales were not present.
When tile motion attendant on this most enthusiastic
greeting had somewhat subsided, the Emperor gave the
signal for the performance to cornrow% The ourtaia