The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-22 00:00:00

Return of the Queen to Windsor.

Her Majesty, with their Reyal ' Highnesses the
Princesses Helena, Louise, and Beatrice, and Prince
Leopold, accompanied by her Serene Highness the
Princess Hohenlohe, and attended by Colonel the
Hon. Sir C. B. Phipps, Major-General Seymour,
the Countess of Caledon, the Hon. Mrs. R: Bruce,
the Hon. Miss Phipps (maid of Honour), &c., left
Osborne on Saturday morning, en route for
Windsor.

The Royal party embarked in the Royal yacht at
Cowes shortly after 11, and experienced rather a
rough paseego to Gosport, where her Majesty
arrived alongside the Clarence-yard about noon,
when the illustrious party were at once conducted
to the two state saloons attached to the special train
provided by the London and South Western Rail-
way Company. With a view to the comfort of her
Majesty and the Royal family, the day being bit-
terly cold, with heavy snow storms, the South
Western Company had provided 12 newly-designed
copper feet-warmers, two feet long and a foot broad,
made like flat footstools, and manufactured ex-
pressly for this journey.
The Royal train left Gosport at noon, in charge
of Mr. Godson, the traffic superintendent of the
above line, who accompanied it to Basingstoke,
which was reached at 1.13 p.m., the illustri-
ous passengers encountering a heavy snow storm
between the last named place and Winchester.
At Basingstoke the train was taken in charge by
Mr. Tyrrell, the traffic superintendent of the Great
Western Railway; Mr. Saunders, the secretary,
accompanying it to the Windsor terminus, where
her Majesty arrived at 2.18 p.m. Mr. Burlinson,
the Slough superintendent, and Mr. Matthews, were
in attendance on the platform, which was crowded
by spectators, largely sprinkled with ladies, while
outside the station were five of the Royal carriages
and several breaks, the postilions and drivers of
which wore their scarlet liveries for the first time.
beneath their overcoats, since her Majesty has been

in mourning.
The Royal party on leaving the train were
conducted to two carriages, each drawn by a pair
of white horses, her Msjesty taking her Beat
in the first, having graciously returned the
silent though cordial solutions' of the bystanders
on passlng across the platform. The Queen,
who was still in mourning, appeared in good health,
while the youthfalPrince and Princesses, who have
doffed their mourning, could not have locked better
after their journey. There wan no guard of honour
at the station, but the b ells at St. George's Chapel
and St. John's Church rang out merry peals as the
Royal party arrived, and left the station for the
Castle, which was reached shortly before half-past
two in the afternoon.
His Royal Highness Prince Arthur arrived at the
Castle in the evening, and the Right Hon. Sir G.
grey, the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment, also arrived at Windsor Castle on a visit to
her Majesty. The Court will probably remain at
Windsor for about three months.

TIIA PRINCE OF WALES has expressed his inten-
tion of becoming patron of the Archaeological Institute, in
the room of the late Prince Consort.
Her Royal Highness the *Duchess of Cambridge
had a dinner party on Saturday evening. at the re-vai
duchess's residence in the Ambassadors' COUtt, St, JaLues,,
Palace.

The Duchess of Somerset will have a dexcing
party at the Admiralty on Wednesday next.
The Bake of Athole has arrived in town from
Blair Athole, Perthshire.

The Earl and Countess of Yarborough are sur-
rounded by a select family circle at Brockles.by-park, Lin-
colnshire.

The Earl and Countess of Mount•Edgoumbe ere
expected home in May.

A eTnorEmlTaltnciCeL
anLA RaTteEuurprf Avir—on Friday
agivenatthevening
the
Queen's
Concert Room, Hanover square, which attracted a more
than ordinarily fashionahle audience. The pieces selected for
representation were the three act drama "Plot and Passion,"
and Morton's laughable farce of " Whitebait at Greenwich."
The most remarkable performance of the evening was that of
Mr. Palgrave Simpson, who sustained the part of the M.
Desmarets in the drama. Without, of course, attempting
to compare it with the embodiment of the part by Mr.
Robson when the piece was first produced at the Olympic
Theatre, we may with truth say of Mr. Simpson's version
I of the character that it was quite a surpriza to the audience.
It was marked by the greatest intensity, and we could hardly
imagine it to be the performance of a gentleman familiar
with the stage only as an amusement. Henri do
Neuville was also well and powerfully repre-
sented by Mr. C. Stephenson, and the Fouche Hof
Mr. Augustus Spalding was a performance deserving
the highest praise. Miss Aylmer Blake, as Marie, and
Miss 0 wenlas Cecile, well sustained the high honours ladies
invariably secure at all amateur performances. In the farce
wo have to notice particularly the performance of Mr
Quintin Twiss, as Jacob Small, as a most mirth- exc itieg
effort, and with a complimentary word to Mr. Stephedenswono
and Mr. S. Bradshaw for the ability they also display i_.ss
again have to award honour and praise to the. lad, ier Mt
particu.ar y excel •
Sullivan as Miss Lucretia Buzzard, was
with which WO TO-
lent, and from the admirable manner
ter of Mrs. Malaprop
memberher to have sustained the cha
gr tract-hat she had not a
some few years since,
w©
the talent she undoubt-
part better calculated to d Y:
'-'1")13 ter excellent acting, made
edly possesses. Miss Dart,.
bYrnensely. At the fall of the
the little part of Sally tell
alums
and
enthusiastic.
The
curtain the applause was
du:ring
Minstrels" on this occasion
celebrated band of
" Wati, and many of the compositions
officiated in the orch,estt.ed,
• We highest approbation,
performed by thew el.c.