The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-18 00:00:00

lIER MAJESTY'S _RETURN.

The Queen, after a sojourn of more than three weeks on
the Continent, landed yesterday afternoon at Gravesend,
along with the Prince Consort and the Princess Alice, and
immediately afterwards proceeded by railway to Windsor.
It was the Royal intention to return to this country en
Monday the 15th, but in consequence of her Majesty hav-
ing been attacked with slight indisposition, the journey
homeward was delayed for a day or two at Brussels, and
the Royal party did not leave that city till Tuesday. On the
afternoon of that day they reached Antwerp, and thence em-
barked in the royal yacht the Victoria. and Albert for England.
The Terrace Pier, at which the landing was to take place,
was decorated much in the same style as when the Royal
party left for the Continent. Along the centre of this
covered way there was a pathway for the Royal party and
suite, covered with crimson cloth, and on each side seats
were placed to accommodate 1,400 persons, who, on the
invitation of the magistrates and town council, assembled
to testify their loyalty and attachment to the Sovereign.
The other portions of the pier were also gaily decorated, and
in front there was exhibited a large painting of the Royal
arms, the gateway underneath being clothed in appropriate
drapery.
At half-past four the Victoria and Albert was seen round-
ing the Coalhouse Point, and by a quarter to five she was
brought to nearly alongside the "brow" constructed for
the purpose of disembarcation. Another quarter of an hour
elapsed before the yacht could be brought near enough to
allow of the gangway being extended to the deck, as the tide
was getting low, but by five o'clock everything had been
satisfactorily arranged for the Royal party leaving the
vessel. While these arrangements were in progress her
Majesty, the Prince Consort, and the Princess Alice walked
up and down the deck surveying the operations ;
but, though distinctly visible from the pier, no cheer
was raised by the persons assembled on it, a special
request having been made that no cheering should
take place till after the Royal party had landed and left the
pier. The utmost silence prevailed, therefore, only broken
by the occasional discharge of a gun from some vessel in
the river—a mark of attention to her Majesty which was
considered rather disorderly by the officials on the pier, as
it appeared to anticipate the Royal salute of 21 guns which
was to follow the Royal landing.

Shortly after 5 o'clock her Majesty left the Royal yacht,
leaning on the arm of the Prince Consort, and followed by
the Princess Alice. No traces of her Majesty's recent in-
disposition could be observed in her appearance, and she
looked extremely well. The Royal party were driven im-
mediately to the station of the North Kent Railway, attended
by the lath Lancers, and cheered at every step by dense
masses of people who bad assembled to testify their loyalty
and affection for her Majesty and her Royal Consort and
daughter. A special train, including the royal railway
carriage, had been provided at the station. The Hon. J.
Byng, chairman of the London and South-Eastern Rail-
way Company, and several of the directors, with Mr.
Eborall, the traffic manager, and Mr. Knight, the traffic
superintendent, were present to welcome her Majesty and
superintend the arrangements. At half-past five the train
left the station amid the cheers of a large body of people
who had been admitted within the gates, and reached the
Bricklayers' Arms at a quarter past six o'clock, where an
immense crowd had assembled to see the Royal party.
Carriages were waiting for the royal travellers and their
suites, and they drove off immediately for Vauxhall, where
a train was waiting, which conveyed them to Windsor by
the London and South-Western Railway. The royal party
were accompanied by Gen. Grey and Col. Phipps.

THE EARL OF DEREY.—We have great pleasure
in being enabled to announce that Lord Derby is gradually
recovering from the weakness usually following a severe
attack of gout. las lordship's recovery has been retarded
by the state of the weather, but there are not the slightest
grounds for the sinister rumours which have been in circu-
lation, Lord Derby's family and friends looking forward
confidently to the speedy re-establishment of his health.
The Earl and Countess of pork have arrived in
town from a continental tour. The noble earl and countess
leave shortly for Moisten House, Somerset.
The Countess (Dowager) of Verulam has arrived
in Grosvenor-square from visiting the Earl and Countess
of Clarendon, at the Grove, near Watford.

The Countess of Glengall and Lady Matilda
Butler have arrived in Grosvenor-square, from the Isle of
Wight.

The Earl and Countess Grey, since their return
from the Continent, have been staying at Howick Hall,
Northumberland.

Viscount Palmerston will leave Broadlands on
Saturday morning, for town, in order to be present at the
Cabinet Council appointed to be held that afternoon.

- -
One of the young princes of the House of Orleans
has entered his name as a pupil in the course of lectures on
"Architecture," at the London_ University College.

THE II IDOW OF SIR HARRY SMITH.—III the
obituary notices of the late gallant general which have
appeared it has been briefly mentioned that Sir Harty
Smith married a Portuguese lady. A most romantic story
is told of the manner in which he b&ame acquainted with
that lady. After one of the actions in the Peninsula, in or
about 1813, a Spanish officer of high rank and great gal-
lantry, with whom Sir harry happened to have a slight
acquaintance, was found mortally wounded on the field.
He lived for two or three days, and, while in the hospital,
to which sir Harry had had him conveyed, he sent for his
wife, to whom he had been married only a few weeks, and
who was a Spanish beauty of between 15 and 16 years old.
The dying officer entrusted the lady to his gallant English
friend, with a request that he would see to her welfare.
How well he discharged the confidence thus'reposed in him
was shown by the fact that no sooner was the war in Spain
at an end than he made the Donna Susanna de Leon Mrs.
Colonel Smith. The marriage was never blessed with issue.
Tmheengallant
sio s
lose.
general has left a brother and a sister to la-