The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-23 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN AT
WINDSOR CASTLE.

(Abridged from a Morning Contemporary.)
WINDSOR, TUESDAY EVENING, 12 O'CLOCK.—At an
early hour this morning the inhabitants of Windsor were
busily engaged in completing the preparations which they
have for some time past been designing in honour of the ex-
pected arrival of their young and graceful Sovereign Queen
Victoria at the Castle of her ancestors. The bells of Wind-
sor Church rang merry peals at intervals during the day,
and nothing happened to mar the interest of the scene till a
heavy shower, which fell between ten and eleven o'clock in
the morning, gave reason for anticipating that a wet day
would detract from, if not entirely spoil, the holyday revels
then in contemplation. The Long Walk became the great
source of attraction, and crowds of strollers collected in
front of the lodges at its entrance to view the works in pro-
gress for the festivities of the afternoon. Turning your
back upon the Castle, and looking down the Long Walk
and its noble avenue of majestic trees, your view was for a
moment diverted from it by Mrs. Graham's balloon, which
was undergoing the process of inflation with gas a little to
Your right. The discomposure which this process occasioned
to the olfactory nerves, made you glad to turn from it to
the wooden framework and scaffolding erected between
the two lodges at the head of the Long Walk for the pur-
pose of forming a magnificent arch of laurels, dahlias, and
evergreens, under which the Royal cortege was to pass to
the Castle. Passing under the scaffolding:, and advancing
down the avenue, you could not fail to admire the busy
groups which were then in motion immediately before you,
some engaged in completing. and others in inspecting the
preparations for dinner. The tables, 72 in number, were
exposed to your view on the green turf, extending on the
right between the road which leads to the Equestrian
Statue of George 111. on Snowhill and the lofty trees
which skirt that road along its entire distance. They
were each 13 yards long, and were placed in rows paral-
lel to each other. In front of these 72 tables, eight of our
national flags were ranged at convenient distances, and in
the rear of them four marquees, which, when I first saw
them, were used as depositories for the provisions) after-
wards set set before the guests, and which were converted,
emptied of their contents, into places of shelter for
the different military bands, which played at intervals
during the afternoon. Between twelve and one o'clock
the. tables wore a most disconsolate appearance. Cloths
had been laid upon them : but the heavy rain had
soaked
them through and through, and had entirely
poiled their neatness and purity. At that time men were
employed in placing the dishes and plates upon them, and as
for feasting 4,200 poor persons. At four o'clock a dense
mass of carriages was ranged in close line from the Lodges
down to the end of the tables allotted to the entertainment
of the poor of Windsor. Shortly before that hour the town
of Windsor was enlivened by a procession of the " Ba-
ewlue:oiers:layin
of Windsor, who, after marching through it with
and flags flying—that of " Vivant Rex et
• egina" was rather inappropriate—took up their position
bto the Long 'Walk directly before the dinner tables. These
achelors, who were known by their light blue rosettes,
ad scarcely left the streets empty, when the Queen's
Guard marched up from the barracks to the Castle, and
lined all the approaches from the town to the upper ward, in
Which the Royal apartments are situate. These different cir-
eurastanees gave reason to believe that her Majesty's approach
might be expected every minute ; and every heart in con-
eequenee beat high with curiosity and expectation. At 4
O'clock the poor inhabitants of Windsor, and their wives and
Children, for whose indulgence the dinner was provided,
htook their-seats at the different tables. But, alas ! all the
r

4°Pes of the day were disar pointed, by the unfortunate
descent of a most terrific shower. If you looked across
the row of tables, you saw nothing but a dense mass of
Unibrellas—the men, the women, and the children, who
were seated under them, were completely hidden from
Your gaze. It was about a quarter past .5 o'clock when
the head of the Queen's escort, which consisted of a squad-
ron of the Life Guards Red, reached the first table. A
rocket was immediately discharged in front of it, and this
was a signal to a small detachment of Artillery stationed
in the Little•park to commence and continue firing half=
minute guns, until the arrival of her Majesty in the magni-
ficent residence of the Sovereigns of England. Her
Majesty, as is usual on these occasions of State, was in
the centre of her escort. The carriage in which she rode
continued open, notwithstanding the severe rain, and
the only protection which she had against it, was an
umbrella held over her by one of the Royal domestics.
She was accompanied by her Royal mother, Lady Flora
Hastings, and Lady C. Jenkinson. In the carriage which
followed her, were the Baroness Lehzen, the Hon. Miss
Cocks, the Hon. Miss Cavendish, and Colonel Buckley.
Under the supposition that the weather would be fine, it
bad been arranged that her Majesty, on reaching the tables,
should leave her carriage, and should walk with her Royal
mother to the Castle ; but the rain rendered the accom-
!tishment of this arrangement quite impossible. She re-
'Pained, therefore, in her carriage, and as she moved up the
living avenue formed by her loyal and devoted subjecti, she
,Was greeted by the waving of hats and handkerchiefs, and
by loud, long, and cordial cheers, which she graciously ac-
knowledged by repeated bows. As her Majesty left the Park,
and entered the town of Windsor, a Royal salute was fired by
the Artillery. As soon as its roar bad died away the crowd in
the streets took up the cheering, which had ceased in the
Park, and continued it until her Majesty reached the pre-
cincts of the Castle. On her entering the Castle another
Royal salute was fired, and immediately afterwards the
Royal standard was hoisted from the Round Tower, and
floated proudly on the breeze, notwithstanding the damp-
mess of the atmosphere. This event was hailed with three
loud huzzas by the spectators of it in the Park. Her
Majesty, who on her first arrival in the Castle was much
fatigued, as well as affected, joined a select party of 16
persons of distinction, whom she had honoured with an in-
vitation on this interesting occasion. Though her Majesty
left the Long-walk at half-past five o'clock, the company
who had waited there to welcome her found it impossible to
follow her for more than an hour afterwards, in consequence
of the road being blocked up by the preparations necessary
to inflate Mrs. Graham's balloon. At a quarter-past six
the preparations were declared complete. The intrepid
aeronaut then entered the car, the strings which bound the
balloon to earth were cut asunder, and the balloon, mount-
ing into air, took a direction, which, if the wind did not
lhanga, was likely to land the lady soon in the neighbour-
()°d of London. On returning at seven o'clock into
Windsor, I found the people commencing :the illumination
of their houses. The fireworks commenced at a quarter-
Past nine o'clock, and, notwithstanding the rain, went off
4011 the whole very well.
X-