The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-10 00:00:00

THURSDAY

HER MAJESTY'S VISIT
TO THE CITY.

GRAND BALL AT GUILDHALL.

Her Majesty and Prince Albert last night honoured
with their presence the grand entertainment given by
the Lord Mayor and Corporation of the city of Lon-
don, in the Guildhall, in celebration of the Great
Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations. The
rarity of royal visits to the City by night, and the
brilliancy of the spectacle, rendered the occasion one
of the most lively interest to the countless thousands
of foreigif and provincial visitors who are now con-
gregated in the metropolis, as well as to the vast
masses of our own population. The illuminations
were not, perhaps, quite so splendid or so numerous
as upon former occasions, but the Queen's path, from
Temple-bar to King-street, was a blaze of light—
flags and ensigns were stretched across the street or
hung from the casements—every window exhibited
its group of ladies—and the streets were densely filled
with en assemblage who, permitted to participate in
the garish delights of a city illumination, and pleased
with this renewed mark of her Majesty's confidence
in the loyalty and affection of her people, regarded
without envy the long line of equipages that bore the
distinguished visitors of the Lord Mayor and Corpo-
ration to the scene which the Queen had condescended
to honour with her presence.
During the day crowds of persons had assembled
in Fleet-street to witness the preparations for the
illumination. So early as six o'clock carriages began
to set down company at the Guildhall, and about
that hour the City line of route taken by the Royal
procession was stopped against cabs, omnibuses, and
all other vehicles not destined for Guildhall. The
streets were covered with gravel, and barricades bad
been erected at various side streets where the pressure
was likely to be the greatest.
The houses and public buildings along the line of
route and in the heart of the City were very generally
illuminated, though, in consequence of the extremely
short notice given by the Lord Alayor of his desire
that the citizens should testify by such a demonstra-
tion their respect for her Majesty and her Royal
Consort, many persons were prevented from acting
upon his suggestion. The illuminations beyond
Temple-bar westward were few and far between, but
at that ancient though inconvenient entrance to the
City the grand display commenced. The western
side of the bar presented a blaze of light. The
devices consisted of stars and branches of laurel sur-
mounting an imperial crown, in coloured lamps,
with the initials " V." and " A." in white lamps.
The eastern side of the bar was decorated in a some-
what similar manner, the outlines of the building,
the columns, and the central and side arches being
marked by variegated lamps. The combination of co-
lours was exceedingly tasteful and pleasing, and some
idea of the brilliancy of the display may be formed
when we state that upwards of 20,000 lamps were
used in illuminating this building alone. Passing
along Fleet-street there was little in the luminous
display to attract special notice. Gas and oil were em-
ployed to an extravagant extent in the exhibition of
stars, crowns, and the initials " V. R." or "V. A. ;"
but there were no devices deserving commendation
on the ground of taste, ingenuity, or novelty. This
may, however, be accounted for in some measure by
the haste with which the arrangements were neces-
sarily made. Several hazy-looking transparencies,
which had seen much service on royal festivals, were
here and there exhibited, and some of the oil illumi-
nations were so speedily exhausted that the ire of the
populace was excited and expressed by significant vo-
ciferations. The illuminations on Ludgate-hill and in
Ludgate-street were generally of the same character
with those we have already mentioned. The only ex-
ceptions were a very tasteful design exhibited by ,
Messrs. Carlin, of Ludgate-street, representing a
basket of flowers, in coloured lamps, and a trans-
parency displayed by Messrs. Dakin and Co.,
of Ludgate-street, and St. Paul's Churchyard. This
transparency was an allegorical painting, on a very
large scale, covering a considerable portion of the
eastern front of Messrs. Dakins' premises, and re-
presenting the union of the four quarters of the globe
in the year 1851, surrounded by the motto " Peace
on earth, good will among men," encircling medallion
portraits of her Majesty and Prince Albert, and
bearing below the inscription, " The nations, glory
to God, have united." The extensive facade of St.
Paul's School afforded an opportunity for the dis-
play of an elegant design. In the centre of the
building was an imperial crown of great size, between
the letters " V. A.," while either wing presented a
Brunswick star, with laurel leaves, in variegated
lamps. The chaste and mellow effect of this design
formed a pleasing contrast to the brilliant gas illumi-
nations which were profusely displayed in its vici-
nity. The great majority of the houses in Cheapside
exhibited the ordinary stars and crowns, but one
large unoccupied warehouse on the north side of the
street, near Wood-street, attracted much attention
from the adoption of the simple mode in which our
fathers were content to celebrate the victories of the
Nile and Trafalgar, and to do honour to public fes-
tivals " when George the Third was King." The house
presented an extensive frontage, and each pane of
each of its numerous windows threw out into the
street the feeble light of a common candle. It teed
scarcely be said that the effect, when compared with
the flaring brightness of the surrounding gas illumi-
nations, was singular and somewhat ludicrous, but the
illuminator at least deserves the credit of introducing
what is in the present day a novelty. In one of the
houses in Cheapside a transparency was dizplayed re-
presenting a crop of flax, with the inscription, " Flax
the remedy of Ireland's distress." Very elegant illu-
minations in variegated lamps were exhibited at the
Saddlers'-hall and at Mercers'-hall. In front of the
premises of Messrs. Reeves and Sons was exhibited a
gas illumination, with the words, " Toe Queen and
Prince, patrons of the arts." In the front of the
Guildhall the Royal arms on a large scale were bril-
liantly displayed in gas. The Mansion-house was
decorated with a large imperial projecting crown,
with branches of laurel, surmounting a star of Bruns-
wick, end having on either side the initials of her Ma-
jesty and Prince Albert, in gas jets. The illumina-
tion at the Bank of England was of a somewhat
singular kind, though the effect produced was not
unpleasing. Each of the numerous lamp-posts on
the south front of the building, facing Thread-
needle-street. was surmounted by a star in gas,
and gas pipes being festooned between the top
of each lamp-post, a brilliant display was produced
along the whole front of the building. The only de-
fect was the want of variety in colour. The Royal
Exchange was very tastefully decorated, and was an
object of general admiration. 'The pediment of the
façade was bordered with pure white lamps, encir-
cling the inscription (also in white lamps)—" The
earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." The
beautiful columns of the portico were also inter-
twined with wreaths of lamps, and the capitals were
tastefully ornamented in the same manner. Elegant
illuminations were also displayed at the East India
House and other public buildings in the city.
As the company continued to arrive the crowd also
increased, and at eight o'clock, when the Life Guards
arrived to keep the ground for the procession, the
streets began to fill. This arduous duty of maintain-
ing the line of route for the Royal carriages was per-
formed by the Life Guards with admirable temper
and forbearance. The spot where these qualities were
most conspicuously called into exercise was at the
junction of King-street with Cheapside, where the
pressure was so great that before the arrival of the
soldiers the police had been obliged to use their trun-
cheons. King-street was lined by the Hon. Artillery
Company. At half-past eight the streets were
closed against the passage of carriages with visitors,
in anticipation of her Majesty's arrival. About nine
o'clock the Duchess of Kent and the Duke of Cam-
bridge arrived in Royal carriages; and at five
minutes past nine o'clock the Royal procession left
Buckingham Palace in the following order :
The first carriage, conveying a Gentleman Usher, Mr.
Arthur Blackwood, a Gentleman Usher of the Privy
Chamber, Sir Frederick Smith, the Exon of the Yeo-
men Guard in Waiting, Captain Phibbs, and the Page of
Honour in Waiting, Mr. George Grant Gordon.
The second carriage, conveying the Groom in Waiting,
Sir Edward Bowater; the Groom in Waiting to the
Prince, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Seymour; the Field
Officer in Waiting, Colonel Bentinck; and the Silver
Stick in Waiting, Colonel M`Deuall.
The third carriage, conveying the Equerry in Waiting,
Lord A. Charles Fitzroy; the Equerry in Waiting to the
Prince, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Hugh Seymour; the
Treasurer of the Household, Lord Marcus Hill; and the
Clerk Marshal, Lord Altred Paget.
The fourth carriage, conveying the Vice-Chamberlain,
Lord Edward Howard; the Captain of the Yeomen Guard,
the Marquis of Donegal; and the Captain of the Hon.
Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, Lord Foley.
The fifth carriage, conveying the Bedchamber Woman
in Waiting, the Viscountess Forbes; the Lord in Wait-
ing, Lord Elphinstone; and the Master of the Buck-
hounds, the Earl of Bes,borough.
The sixth carriage, conveying the Maids of Honour in
Waiting, the Hun. Amelia Murray and the Hon. Lucy
Kerr; the Groom of the Stole to the Prince, the Mar-
quis of Abercorn; and the Gold Stick in Waiting, Vis-
count Combertnere.
The seventh carriage, conveying a lady of the Bed-
chamber, the Marchioness 01 Douro; the Lord Steward,
the Marquis of Westminster; and the Lord Chamber-
lain, the Marquis of Breadalbane.
The eighth carriage, conveying her Majesty the
gleen, his Royal Highness the Prince Albert, the Lady
of the Bedchamber in Waiting (the Countess of Gains-
borough), and the Master of the Horse (the Duke of
Norfolk.
The royal procession arrived at Temple-bar about
half-past nine o'clock. At this point the throng
was very great. Her Majesty was very warmly re-
ceived, and graciously acknowledged the salutations
of the crowd. The royal carriages and escort proceeded
at a slow pace down Fleet-street, which, with its ban-
ners, flags, stars, crowns, and royal initials, pre-