The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-02 00:00:00

ORDER OF TILE STAR OF _INDIA.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. 1.

Her Majesty the Queen held this afternoon in
Windsor Castle her first investiture of the Most
Exalted Order of the Star of India. The day was
the anniversary of the day on which her Majesty's
proclamation was promulgated whereby her reso-
lution to take upon herself the government of
India was notified to the Queen's Indian subjects.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince Consort and
the Prince of Wales, having been nominated Extra
Knights of the said Most Exalted Order, were
first invested by the Queen with the insignia
thereof.

His Highness the Maharajah Dhuleep Singh,
and several noblemen and gentlemen that have
heretofore held high office in the Indian Empire,
and had been nominated by her Majesty Knights
of the Order, were summoned to the Castle in order
to receive investiture from the Sovereign.

The Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood, Bart., G. C. 13.,
the Queen's Secretary of State for India, was in-
vited to witness the august ceremony, and a numer-
ous Court, comprising the Mistress of the Robes,
the Lady in Waiting, the Great Officers of State,
and other officers of the Royal Household, attended
upon the occasion.
The ceremony of the investiture took place in
the Throne-room, at the west end of which was
placed a chair of state, to which the Queen was
conducted by the Lord Chamberlain and the Lord
Steward, at three o'clock.

The Queen, as sovereign of the Most Exalted
Order, wore the mantle, which is of light blue
satin, lined with white satin, and fastened with a
cordon of white silk with blue and silver tassels.
On the left side was the star of the Order. Over
the mantle her Majesty wore the collar of gold and
enamel, composed of the, lotus of India, of palm
branches, and of the united white and red roses. In
the centre of the collar was an imperial crown. All
were richly enamelled in their proper colours.
From the middle of the front of the collar hung
suspended the badge, which consists of an onyx
cameo of her Mejesty's effigy, set in a perforated
and ornamented oval containing the motto of the
Order, " Heaven's light our Guide," surmounted by
a star, all in diamonds.
The train of the mantle was borne from the
royal apartments to the Throne-room by Major-
General Seymour, Groom of the Robes; Viscount
Castlecuffe, and Mr. E. R. Boyle, Pages of Honour
in Waiting.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince Consort and
the Prince of Wales had been invested by her Ma-
jesty previous to her entering the Throne-room.
Their royal highnesses, wearing the collar and
mantle of the Order, accompanied the Queen. The
Prince Consort stood near the chair of State on her
Majesty's right hand, and the Prince of Wales on
her left. The Mistress of the Robes and the Great
Officers of State occupied their usual stations.
The Knights assembled in St. George's Hall.
The officer of the Order in attendance was Albert
William Woods, Esq. (Lancaster Herald), Regis-
trar of the Order, who was habited in a mantle, and
wore the chain and badge of his office.
Soon after the Sovereign had taken her seat in
the chair of State, the ceremony of investiture com-
menced.

Viscount Gough was conducted to the Queen by
the Registrar of the Order; his lordship knelt near
her Majesty, and the Registrar presenting the
riband with the badge and the star of the Order on
a velvet cushion, the Sovereign, assisted by his
Royal Highness the Prince Consort, invested the
noble viscount with the insignia, passing the riband
with the badge over his right shoulder to the left
side, and placing the star on his lordship's left
breast. The noble viscount had the honour to kiss
her Majesty's hand, and retired from the presence
with the usual reverences.

Lord Harris was introduced, received from the
Queen the honour of knighthood (which was con-
ferred with the Sword of State), and was afterwards
invested by the Sovereign with the ensigns of the
Order.

His Highness the Maharajah Dhulep Singh was
introduced, had the honour of knighthood. conferred
upon him, and received investiture from her Ma-
jesty with the insignia of the Order.
General Lord Clyde,
The Right Hon. Sir John Laird Mair Lawrence,
Bart., and

General Sir George Pollock, were severally intro-
duced and invested by her Majesty with the like
ceremonies.

The star is formed of rays of gold issuing from
a centre, having thereon a star in diamonds, resting
upon a light blue circular riband tied at the ends,
and inscribed with the motto in diamonds.
The badge is the same as that attached to the
collar of the order, and is suspended from a riband
of light blue with a narrow white stripe near either
edge.

The Queen, accompanied by the Prince Consort
and the Prince of Wales, was conducted from the
Throne-room by the Officers of State after the
investiture.

Their Royal Highnesses the Princess Alice, the
Princesses Helena, Louise, and Beatrice, Prince
Arthur and Prince Leopold, and the Princess of
Hohenlohe, witnessed the ceremony in the Throne-
TOM.

The Court was attended by the Duchess of Wel-
lington, Mistress of the Robes ; the Marchioness of
Ely, Lady in Waiting; the Right Hon. Sir Charles
Wood, Secretary of State for India ; the Earl of
St. Germans, Lord Steward ; Viscount Sydney,
Lord Chamberlain ; the Marquis of Ailesbury,
Master of the Horse ; Earl Spencer, Groom of the
Stole to the Prince Consort; Lord Foley, the Cap-
tain of the Hon. Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms ;
Earl Ducie, Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard;
Viscount Bury, Treasurer of the Household; Lord
Methuen, Lord in Waiting ; Lord Waterpark,
Lord in Waiting to the Prince Consort; Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Kingscote, Groom in Waiting ; Colonel
Francis Seymour, C. 8., Groom in Waiting to the
Prince Consort; Colonel Ponsonby, Equerry to the
Prince Consort; Major-General Seymour, Groom of
the Robes; Earl of Mountcharles, Silver Stick in
Waiting; Colonel Wynyard, Field Officer in
Brigade Waiting ; Sir William Martins, Gentle-
man Usher to the Sword of State; the Hon.
Spencer Ponsonby, Comptroller of the Lord Cham-
berlain's Department; Colonel Biddulph, Master
of the Household; Major Teesdale, Equerry in
Waiting to the Prince of Wales ; Viscount Castle-
cuffe and Mr. E. R. Boyle, Pages of Honour in
Waiting ; and Colonel Oliphant, in. Waiting to the
Maharajah Dhuleep Singh.
Her Majesty's Royal Body Guard of the Honour-
able Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms was on duty in
the Throne-room, under thecommand of Lieutenant-
Colonel Sir Wm. Topham, the Lieutenant. Major
Harmar, the Standard Bearer, and the Adjutant of
the Corps attended.
The Royal Body Guard of the Yeomen of the

Guard were on duty, commanded by Captain Mac-
donald, the Exon in Waiting. Major-General Sir
Travell Phillips, the Lieutenant, and Major-Gen.
Fitzmaurice, the Adjutant of the Corps, were also
present.

Lieutenant-General Sir James Outram, Bart.,
G.C.8., and Field-Marshal Viscount Combermere,
G.C.8., Ivho had been appointed Knights of the
Order, were summoned for investiture, but could
not obey the royal command, the former in conse-
quence of his absence from England, and the latter
from indisposition.
A guard of honour of the Scots Fusilier Guards
was in attendance, with the band of the regiment,
within the Castle quadrangle.

THE WEATHER IN SCOTLAND.—During the past
few days we have had decided indications that winter has
stolen a march upon us. The weather last week was gene—
rally dry and pleasant, although cold in the mornings and
evenings. Saturday was a fine day for the season, and
Sabbath also was clear, and even warm in the sun. Yes-
terday morning, however, opened sharp and frosty, and
everything bore a wintry aspect, the housetops being
covered with a thick coating of hoar-frost. During the
early part of the day a pretty thick fog prevailed, in con-
sequence of which the gas was kept burning in many of
the shops and offices in the city ; but in the afternoon the
fog cleared away, and left the atmosphere clear and brac-
ing. The evening, however, was MP and foggy,..—Scotasio
Gordian.