The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-29 00:00:00

The Duke of Edinburgh in the City,

Yesterday his Royal Highness the Duke of Edin-
burgh, complying with an unanimous invitation of
the Master and Wardens of the ancient guild of
Grocers, one of the 12 great city companies, that he
would accept the freedom of their order, .went in
state to the city for that purpose. The company is
not only famous among the civic guilds for its wealth
and munificent charities, but as being one of the
very oldest of them, having flourished for more than
500 years. Kings and Princes have been among its
grand masters, or have adorned the roll of
honorary members. Its name, adopted probably
for the sake of brevity, scarcely does justice to its
original constitution as a fraternity of merchants,
seeing that they were men who traded in all the va-
rious produCts of tropical climes, and especially in
spices and condiments, though, like most of the City
companies, it has to a great extent ceased to be a
fellowship solely of persons engaged in the pursuit
of the particular branch of trade or commerce sym-
bolise.d by its name.

The Prince, who was attended by Col. the Hon.
A. Liddell and the Hon. E. Yorke, arrived at the
hall of the company in Princes-street about half-
past 1 o'clock, and on alighting at the entrance was
received with every mark of high consideration and
respect by the Master (Mr. Coventry Mark Wood-
house), Mr. J. N. Layton, -and Mr. H. W. Harri-
son, two of the principal Wardens ; Mr. Heath, se-
nior member of the Court of Assistants ; Mr. A..
Pat, Mr. 11. Warner, Mr. J. Hodgson,. Mr. Henry
Browning, Mr. J. Cottam, and Mr. IL Grace, with
Mr. Wm.-Ruck, the clerk of the company.' Thence
his Royal Highness was conducted to the drawing-
room, a gorgeous apartment decorafed with marble
busts of the Queen and Prince Consort, and, of NV el-
lington, Nelson, and Sir John Lawrence. At the
Master's rapiest, Mr. Ruck, the clerk, read the re-
solution of the court passed on 18th April, confer-
ring the honorary freedom of the company upon the
Prince, in testimony of the feelings of loyalty and
attachment entertained by them towards her Ma-
jesty and the royal family. His Royal Highness then
took the customary oath of a freeman, by which he
pledged himself to bear true allegianc& to our Sove-
reign Lady the Queen, to be obedient to the wardens
of the company in all lawful things, to keep secret
all the lawful councils of the fellowship, and truly
observe and obey all itsrules, impositions, and ordi-
nances.

The MASTER (Mr. Woodhouse), addressing the
Prince, said—As Master of the Grocere' Company
it was his pleasing duty and high priyilege to pre-
sent to his Royal Highness the honorary freedom
of that ancient corporation, and to express the
dutiful acknowledgments of the Court of ASsistants
for the distinguished honour conferred upon the
Company by his Royal Highness becoming one of
its members. His Royal Highness would permit
him to remind him that the Grocers' Company re-
ceived its first charter from his Majesty King Ed-
ward 111. ; that it takes rank second in the list of
the old trading fellowships of this city, and that
during a period of more than five centuries it had
been distinguished for its loyalty and hospitality, as
well as for its liberal support of the public charitable
and educational institutions with which this metro-
polis happily abounded. He might also mention
that at the restoration of the Monarchy the QOM-,
pany was among the foremost to welcome King
Charles 11. to the city of London' and4that the Com—,
pany had the honour to record his Majesty as its
Master for. the year 1660. His Majesty.. King. Wil-,
Ham 111. was also a member of their fraternity, and
they found it recorded that he served the office of
Grand Master. He was proud to add that their
Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the
Duke of Cambridge were now members of the Com-
pany. With these precedents in view the Court of
Assistants ventured to solicit permission to enrol
the name of his Royal Highness among the illus-
trious members of the Grocers' Company, and, on
behalf of the Court, he again thanked his Royal
Highness for his condescension in attending there
that day, and welcomed him as a Brother Grocer.
The Prince, taking the document conferring the
freedom, which was enclosed in a magnificent gold
box of elegant design and workmanship, bowed his
acknowledgments, and then having subscribed the
roll of freemen and been presented by the Master to
the gentlemen present, was escorted to the Court-
room of the Company, a stately apartment, where a
dejeitnei: had been prepared for his Royal Highness.
The table was graced by some of the ancient gold
drinking cups of the Company, and by four magnifi-
cent plateau in silver, embodying a series. of groups
emblematical of the different branches. of commerce
in which the company had been engaged.
specimens of the massive gold find silve plate of the Other
guild were displayed on side tables in different parts
of the room with charming effect. At this entertain-
ment the Master of the Company presided, the
Prince occupying a seat on his right hand, and the
suite of his-Royal Highness, vith the Wardens and
members of the C9urt of Assistants
and _their clerk,

being placed according to rank and seniority, Mr.
Heath, the senior member of the Court, occupying
the.vice-chair. Three .toasts Only 'were • drunk -on-
the occasion—namely, 'The Queen," "The Prince,"
and " The Company." His Royal Highness, in a
few graceful Words, expressed the great gratification
be felt at the honour which had been conferred upon.
him by his admission into the fellowship of their an-
cient corporation.

At the conclusion Of the luncheon the Prince took
his departure," being escorted, as befor a, by the
Master and Wardens to the ethane° in Prinees-
street.