The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-29 00:00:00

Royal Visit to Aldershot.

Yesterday their Royal Highnesses the Prince of
Wales, Prince Alfred, the Dike of Cambridge, and
Prince Louie of Hesse, accompanied by their Grand
Ducal Highnesses Prince Alexander and Prince
Henry of Ht ESO, attended by Lieut.-Gen. Knollya,
Captain Grey, Mbjor Cowell, Captain Westerweller,
and Baron de Rotsmann, visited the camp at Alder-
shot, and were present at a grand review of the
whole of the troops.
Ten o'clock was the hour appointed for the re-
view, but some time previously the troops were
under arms, and seen moving in glittering pic-
turesque masses to the arid tract of the Long Val-
ley. There General Pennefather appeared deter-
mined to make the most of his comparatively small
army—certainly not more than 8,000 or 9,oo—and
drew it up in lines of brigades, infantry in front
and cavalry in rear, the artillery, engineers, and
military train being disposed of on both flanks of
the infantry.
The royal party arrived on the ground shortly
after ten o'clock, and were received by the troops
with the royal salute, the bands playing the National
Anthem. The troops were then inspected by the
royal visitors, who passed up and down the lines in
succession, the bands meanwhile playing the
Danish National Anthem and various regimental
airs. The Long Valley presented an appearance
which baffles description. At the best of times a
desert, unredeemed by a single blade of herbage, it
looks inhospitable and dreary, but on this occasion
a fierce wind wt.s blowing, and clouds of white,
impalpable sand were driving across its whole ex-
panse. This was an enemy against which no
generalship could prevail, and it was met most
courageously by the royal party and the assembled
spectators as a visitation inseparable from a review
at Aldershot ; and so the inspection proceeded, the
bands playing gaily as if defying the dust•clouds
enveloping them, and the royal visitors not appear-
ing to heed the subtle foe, although they must have
been painfully conscious of its all-pervading
presence. The inspection over, the interest of the
day centred in the field ►movements which were
expected to take place, and which would doubtless
have been of a most interesting character but for
Another vicissitude of campaigning which proved
most inopportune. Spectators were moved a con-
siderable distance on to a heath, fringed with
golden gorse in full bloom, and having a picturesque
background of wooded hills. Here they were free
from the annoyance of sand-storms, and here it was
expected the marching past would take place. All
present were, therefore, rejoicing in the selecTion

of the position, when a shower, which had give❑
several premonitory tokens of its approach, de-
scended in full force, and cortinued until troops and
visitors had experienced enough of its effects to
make them wish for an order of retreat.

The order " of retreat" did not, however, come,
but for advance; and on the spectators retracing
their steps to their original position, it was found
that the rain had sufficiently allayed the dust to
allow of the march past taking place there, and this
it was feartd would conclude the review, as another
storm appeared approaching. The marching past

commenced under a clear blue sky, but the heavy
clouds in the south-west broke after the cavalry
brigade and one infantry brigade had passed the
saluting point, when rain and hail, in a furious
storm, burst overhead—this time with such violence
as fairly to drive every one before it; and here the
review ended—for princes and generals, and whole
regiments, equestrians, and pedestrians, beat a
precipitate retreat, fairly beaten by an enemy more
relentless than the dust. In mingled and picturesque
masses the whole assemblage dispersed in very
different order and condition to that in which they
had taken the field.

The royal and distinguished party subsequently
partook of luncheon at the quarters of General
Pennefather in the south camp, and at one o'clock

the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, attended by
General I(nollys and Col. the Hon. H. H. Clifford,
took their departure for Farnborough, proceeding

o town by special train. Prince Louis and Princes

Alexander and Henry of Hesse visited the artillery

and cavalry barracks, the military gymnasium, the
huts occupied by the 73d Regiment, the hospital
lines and the commissariat stores, shortly afterwards
returning to Windsor in two of the royal carriages.