The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-11 00:00:00

Cou rt 4:44
. r

HER MAJESTY, &c•

The Prince of Wales rode out yesterday, attended
by Lieutenant-Colonel Keppel.

The Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse, accom-
panied by their Royal Highnesses the PriIaCCSSCS
Victoria Elizabeth and Irene, and attended by
Baroness Von Schenk and Hofinarschall von Wes-
terweiler, arrived on a visit to the Prince and Prin-
cess of IVales at Marlborough House. _ .

Their Royal Highnesses ;ere met by the Prince
of Wales at the terminus of the South-Eastern
Railway, Charing-cross.

THE SOLITUDE OF THE QUEEN.

(Frown the Times.)
There is one function of Royalty upon the due per-
formance of which both the real and the imagioary
influences of the Crown depend for their permanence.
The Sovereign must appear frequently in public,
must exercise a splendid hospitality, must be the
visible head of English society. The policy of some
Oriental despots has been to seclude themselves from
the eyes of their subjects, lest familiarity should dis-
sipate the impression of superhuman attributes. The
policy of English Kings has been exactly the reverse,
and Englishmen have come to regard the social duties
of Sovereignty as very real and serious duties. Tile
Stuarts, with all their faults, understood this part of
kingcraft thoroughly ; William 111., though much
against the grain, did his best to cultivate it ; for
want of it, the first two Georges utterly failed to
redeem the disadvantage of German extraction
and manners ; by virtue of it George 111. re-
covered the popularity which he had lost by his
apparent subservience to his mother and Lord
Bute. He never forgot the lesson. Though be
cordially hated pageantry, he was always to be seen,
and charmed by his entire freedom from royal airs
the bitterest opponents of his political bigotry.
The retirement of George IV., little as he was be-
loved, was borne with great impatience ; the affable
and sailor-like manners of William IV. won him
golden opinions ; and the accession of a young
Queen, who made it evident that she loved to meet
her subjects, elicited an outburst of loyalty which
most of us cau still remember. It was not dimmed
by 24 years of unbroken sunshine, and it has not
been quenched by more than five years that have
elapsed since the Prince Consort's death. At the
same time, we have never concealed, and have more
than once respectfully expressed, our conviction of
the injurious effect which so protracted an eclipse of
her Majesty's social prerogative must needs produce.
There cannot be a greater mistake than to suppose
that signing papers and transacting with punc-
tuality the indispensable business of State is the one
thing incumbent on a Sovereign, all else being
optional. It would be hardly too much to say that
the reverse is nearer the truth. It has already been
found possible to relieve the Queen of much manual
labour in signing commissions, and there is probably
room for still further economy of her time and
trouble in matters of routine. What can only be
done effectually by herself, and cannot properly be
delegated to others, is this very function which
some may call merely ornamental. The reception el
foreign Princes and foreign Ministers, the holding of
Drawing-rooms and Levees, occasional appearances
on public occasions, and all the nameless courtesies
and hospitalities of a Court—these are just the acts
which the English nation expects of its Sovereigns/
and which, therefore, it is impolitic for an English
Sovereign to neglect. They cannot be neglected with"
out risk of consequences which all would deplore.
English society will have leaders, and if the Sove-
reign abandons the leadership, others will inevitably
usurp the place, to the injury, perhaps, of that purer
morality which the example of the Queen has done
so much to establish. But we have also obligations
to perform, and even debts to repay, to foreign 13!
tious. At this moment the Sovereigns of liessia
and Prussia, with other Princes of minor rank, are
the guests of the Emperor Napoleon,
twelve hours of Buckingham Palace and Windsor
Castle. The Czar, in particular, who entertained
the Prince of Wales last winter so magnificenti):,
and who seldom comes so far West, ought surely
to visit our capital. Ile cannot, however, visit
tler
in her Majesty's absence, and our national charae_
for hospitality is compromised by a contretemps Or,
which the nation is not responsible. Forborne!
would doubtless, if it were necessary, be ready te,
within ten or
vote any reasonable sum for his entertainment, as
the Common Council has already voted Monef
towards the reception of the Sultan and the Belgian_
Volunteers ; but it cannot vote her Majesty back
from Scotland, nor can the want of a hearty wel-
come be supplied even by the Order of the Garter.
t
In reverting to so delicate a subject, we do 11°
forget either the sacred rights of private sorrow er
the truly Royal compassion which the Queen ile-sr
so often manifested for the sorrows of others. lied
devotion to the memory of a good husband: 3°
her sympathy with all who are desolate or
.0P:
pressed, come home to millions who know notin:,
of Royalty in its political or social aspect, a
will ever be associated with her name. Her lette
to Mrs. Lincoln and Mr. Peabody have touch
the hearts of the American people ; her app its
to the King of Prussia is believed to have bad
her
share in averting an European war ; and
prompt expressions of womanly condolence, e‘
more than her generous deeds of charity, have
er°
brought consolation to many a widowed ho to
Queen -
it possible in these stirring days for a own
withdraw from public life without losing hereher
constitutional position and weakening that °{
thatsuccessors, Queen Victoria might well elm e no
privilege. But this is not possible, and ther of
true loyalty in disguising the inevitable resultsweold
I.t
such an experiment if carried on too long.
row °P
not be safe to allow another generation to g
, co be
rarely, if ever, seeing the face of their Sniviere boa
and only knowing by report that she had ° frail
the centre of a brilliant Court, and moYeu
that knows
and
its parasites, as is sometimes hinted, uo
among her people. It is not the aristoernefirolda
how to take care of itself, and royal invitao it is sin
suffer by a social abdication. The aristocratc,9ooo ore
not the only passports to " good society• the
if and u` to
the interest of the monarchy itself,
country at large, that we venture once 1." co
express the hope that her Majestycot c¢
the the place which not even the Heir AO
hold for her.
he 11 s°on r 1.1°13:

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—MiSS Glyn will ; iii 10
benefit
ftor-night, when " Antony and Cleopatfira,tar.bei
ityeOdYAL BOTANICZL GARDENS.---"A Cw-d 5-
pfgluaalrdens in the Re
display
nt
g,
Regent's-park,
plantstphaerk p,
rieassnelot vivir,
ii
oltriplibbaeotejricibtlisot to: ::
public inspection dguerni
are2o, 0
oo a arrangedsquaresi
mh
aoAnnddsDob
yl ALMag
pdriaemseonntd bracNeDloeft
odhiytnfeaett,enant
doccairiepysiongtasanteefx.utne;t
ttorrfeittupgievai'' 0 to
uncommon beauty. gi 0 II
her
rt a me rewards offered, no clue could
Parker,
9:Br
kvi teaArl
u, CaeEndLdE,
at
aTi.otyl
0:11 es;hlos6roollrw:a
swatisotosbt:sal
s:
r: i
week ladyhship gave it up as lost to her for certain. Ls
her ladyship received an anonymous letter, stait it
parcel awaited her at a certain trades
at
tli t
OS
bore the direction given in the letter, and that she .0.0,0
applya in person for it. Lady Parker's cori°s.,iti, 'Ol3,
i:hoeused, and she visited the tradesman's shop in 4-1,,,,5.
There the parcel as described had been for several ;65,
parcel was claimed and conveyed home, 012c1 ia
Parker's astonishnient may be itnagined when 00 o.s2ltaet•
iNt
obbediscovered her lung-lost diamond bracelet ',0%/s or
elucidation can be given to the mystery.--11
be obtaineu,,,ot
Express.
WHAT'S TITS FAIZIO—IS a Wonde r f u 1 contri`l3ollcc;
Lit upon by J. L. Haddan, C.E., of the ilacia is
Carriage Department of the Metropolitan Police, iltilave of
entitled by him The ' Course' System,. It is ougg6l9A 0 all
an instant solution of a prol lam hitherto regarde;oecy
but insoluble—namely, that as to the settlement (:). ' 6
niary difficulties between Cabby and his
little oblong book-lette, just the size for a waistcoat -110,,
tho ,i,
or a lady's reticule—furnishes the clue through
rinth of London Distances. Letters—Numerals--A t°o 0-
Ito IG—S. and D.—the Street-lamps and this befotcr :04
tioned boo all! The nut is oraoUe<bell,
the kernel of the whole difficulty lies there in the ulli"-+, De
always at the command of " Fare" and Cabman, sai'l
taken by either with a relish. catomers.co