The Sun.
London, England, 1837-06-01 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCESS HELENA.

FONTAINEBLEAU, MAY ?A—Since morning postchaises
have not ceased an instant to drive in by the Melun and Paris
roads. All, however, have put up at the Palace, and scarcely
one at an inn. The Duke of Orleans arrived last night at
half-past eleven, with, some say, the Prince Talleyrand de
Perigord. His Royal Highness, who had gone to meet his
bride, left her safe at Chalons-sur- Marne; vihere she slept last
night. She was to arrive to-day in Melun at one o'clock.
Among the distinguished guests already here, are Marshals
111‘Donald, Molitor, Maison, Grouchy, Gerard, Lobau; Ba-
ron Pasquier, President of the Chamber of Peers ; M. Thicrs,
M. Barthe, the Minister of Justice ; M. Girod de l'Ain ;
Messrs. Jaubert, Vatout, Ganneron, Pelet de la Lozcre, and
scores of Deputies and Peers which it is useless to name.
Nothing can equal the confusion into which the Palace is
thrown by the arrival of so many guests. It is supposed that
not less than two hundred post-chaises have come in since
morning. The Queen, and I understand the King of the Bel-
gians, have just reached in a coach-and-six, escorted by a few
gendarmes.

Perceiving the people moving in large numbers towards the
camp, I proceeded thither, and found the soldiers busily en-
gaged in preparing for the reception. The front de bandiire
of their incampment is beautifully ornamented with grass
plots, artificial gardens ; and the intervening spaces between
the tents are planted with boughs of evergreens, which give
it a most pleasing aspect. On the green plots, benches, altars,
&c., which line the camp, on the road-side, are figured gre-
nades, bugles, crosses of the Legion of Honour, and the
hearts of the soldiers, drawn with daisies, violets, and other
wild flowers of the forest. In the centre stands an hymeneal
altar of verdure, on which two tricoloured flags are united,
the one bearing the word Mecklenburg, and the other that of
Orleans. At its base is written in large capital letters, also
in grass and flowers—" Le 6th Regiment au Rois des Fran-
cais" (the 6th Regiment to the King of the French). But
the most extraordinary emblem of all is that placed in front
of the encampment of the company of Chasseurs. It consists
of a rain's head, as big as life, with a large pair of horns,
crowned with flowers, with this inscription underneath—" Le
6th Regiment A 11. de M." (the 6th Regiment to Helen of
Mecklenburg 0
The artillery, whose camp is situate on the opposite side of
the road, do not evince the same taste for decoration as their
comrades of the infantry. They have not figured a single
heart, but have handsomely decked out the tent of their
Commander.

All the Royal Family, with the exception of the King, set
out at two o'clock for the Table du Roi, to meet the
Princess. It being contrary to Cour.t etiquette that fathers
should go out of their way for their children, the King has
remained in the Palace to receive his daughter-in-law at the
top of the fer a cheval (or horse-shoe) staircase, in the
court of the Cheval Blanc, where the National Guard and
'troops have orders to rendezvous.
EIGHT O'CLOCK.--The entire military force was united and
drawn up in the court at four o'clock. The Princess of
Mecklenburg was to have arrived at five, but shortly after
that hour had struck a courier was seen riding in all haste and
proceeding to the fer a cheval, when he handed a paper to an
Aide-dc-camp, who brought it in to the King. The whole of
the grand dignitaries of the Crown were then assembled at
the head of the staircase, but from the distance at which we
were kept I could only discern Marshal Lobau. At half-
past five the Court carriages I had seen entering the
palace at one o'clock :came up gallopping on the
place, and drove to the fer a cheval, but they passed
so rapidly that no one could tell whether the Princes
was in one of them or not. The Dukes of Orleans
and Nemours were in the first, next came a carriage full of
ladies, with the windows up, and then the King's omnibus
with Count Flahaut and other officers of the Court, followed
by two more carriages. The King shook hands with the two
first ladies who mounted the staircase, and then went into the
Palace. I had the patience to wait in the square until ten
minutes to seven o'clock, when a detachment of gendarmes
rode in and announced the approach of the Princess. She
was in a state carriage, drawn by eight posthorses, and, though
the cortege moved at a slow pace, it was impossible for me in
the confusion to see her well enough to describe her accurately.
She appeared pale and tired (from the journey, perhaps).
She has a longish face, is fair, and, I should think, rather
tall. She saluted the people very graciously as she went
along, and must have b.:en well pleased with the reception.
The spectators, from the highest to the lowest, were delighted
with her, and observed that she would make a fine Queen.
She wore a white satin hat and a rose-coloured gown. Seven
other capri..,ers formed her suite, and the whole was escorted
by a large detachment of dragoons of the regiment in garrison
at Melon.

The Princess was met at the gate of Fontainebleau by the
the municipal body, with the Mayor at its head, who wel-
comed her to their town, and the young ladies of the place,
all dressed in whi:e, were afterwards admitted to offer her a
bouquet and to address her a compliment, which she acknow-
ledged in a most courteous manner. On the whole, the fu-
ture Duchess of Orleans has made a most favourable impres-
sion on the people. When she entered the court of the Palace
the troops paid her the honours due to a Qlecn•
She was conducted and presented to the King, before whom
she fell on her knees. He raised and kissed her, and then de-
livered her over to the Queen, by whom and the rest of the
Royal Family she was received with tenderness and affection.
Of the Duchess, her mother, or the other persons of her suite,
I cay nothing, having only seen the Princess.
Immediately afterwards the troops and National Guards
were dismissed, and at eight o'clock the Court adjourned to
the banquetting. hall, where between 300 and 400 persons sat
down to table.