The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-24 00:00:00

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• tors, if any such could possibly have witnessed the
mournful rite of yesterday. The silence of the gravel
itself was in and round the sacred building—a silence
• never broken, save by the deep, slow, muffled tolling,
of the funeral knell, which every minute seemed tol
sweep down with the wind and rush with stealthy
noise upon the gloom within. There was a dumb,
cadaverous air about the Chapel, swathed in its
ghastly trappings of black and white ; there was a
hushed look about the atteadants, a few of whom
were still busy moving to and fro completing the'
last details, and all of whom showed such evi-
dences of grief as were painful even to the
lookers-on at this most solemn ceremonial.
The huge and most sombre-looking painted glass
window of the Ascension of Our Lord, placed,
by George HI. above the Communion-table, at
the east end of the church, let in but little
light, barely enough to distinguish forms amid
the obscure, black gloom of the choir beneath.
Even the rich banners of the Knights of the Garter,
all bedizened as they are with heraldic emblazon-
ments, purple and ezure, red and gold, seemed to be
toned down by the general gloom, and to become
in their stiff lifelessness as a part of the mourning
insignia. The late Prince Consort's banner, quar-
tered with the arms of England and Gotha, is left
still floating on the right of the pale silver embroi-
dt red standard of her Majesty, while in the oaken
stall beneath a silver-gilt escocheon, placed beside
those of many foreign Princes of the House of Bruns-
wick, beats his ducal arms, and proclaims in quain
old Norman French his style, and titles, and date
of installation. What strange vicissitudes of time
and change these old stalls record and press upon
the notice; what disjointed but significant chapters
of history are told by each escocheon, when near
that of our gracious Sovereign we see the banner of
the Emperor Napoleon waving over the stall of
Louis Philippe, occupied before him by Louis XIII.
of Bourbon, before him again by the heads of the
great House of Montmorenci, who were Constables
of France, and before all by the English Knights
who were the first Governors of Calais ! The event
of yesterday was one which history will record with
mourning, but even at such a time it was difficult
Ito repress the reflections these escocheons suggested.
!Whole families of dynasties, whose styles and titles
rare here so gaudily emblazoned, have passed away
like a tale that is told, yet with ourselves each cen-
tury has only knit strongly and more strongly the
bond of love and kindly feeling between the
'Sovereign and the people. Now each affliction
that visits her Majesty visits all throughout the
land, and yesterday her Royal husband, the com-
fort of her life and guide of her throne, was laid
to rest amid the grief of millions, who still in the
sorrow of their hearts look to their Queen and yearn
almost in tears to comfort her in this her greatest
bereavement—in this the darkest hour of het
widowhood and mourning. Beyond this sorrow,
'which was almost palpable, which showed itself in
,the red eyes and weeping countenances of the mort
intimate members of the Household who were ad
imitted to the Chapel, there is nothing new to bt
recorded of this Royal funeral, but the deep and
sincere grief which marked_pach stage of its sloes
progress. The interior of the Chapel itself differed

little from the aspect of solemn gloom and stately
mourning it always wears on these most mournful
occasions. A raised platform had been constructed
down the centre save, leading from the south en-
trance to the choir, with balustrades dividing it
from the north and south aisles. All this, of course.
was carpeted and draped with black, so that the
change, though slight in fact, being one of colour,
completely altered the aspect of the fine old build-
ing. The basement seemed black everywhere—
black over nave and aisles and side walls, and
deeper and more dense than all seemed the black
within the dimly-lighted choir, where the empty
oaken stalls and vacant canopies of the Knights of
the Garter gave a still more desolate aspect to the
scene. The steps leading to the Communion table.
the Communion table itself, even the walls at the
back, were hung with solemn black, and thus the
• groined arches and fine white flated columns of the
building had, by contrast, a bleak, shrunk, ghastly
look; while over all beneath, so absorbing was the
dark hue that it was difficult at times to distinguish
the forms of the attendants as, clad in deep mourn
ing, they crowded the floor, like shadows flitting
noiselessly to and fro. So complete was this muffled
obscurity of the basement that all the steps leading
to the stalls would have been quite undistinguish•
able but that the outline of each stair was marked
along its edge with a thin line of white, which, it
possible, gave a still more cadaverous and skeleton
aspect. to the whole interior. Only one thin nar-
row strip of white broke the darkness of the
centre of the floor, stretching from the west end
of the nave to the front of the Communion
• table. This was laid to guide the assistants,
' who, when covered completely by the pall, would
have to move the heavy bier up the centre of
the Chapel to the platform, where it was to be
lowered to the passage leading to the Royal vault.
This thin line ended at a broad square aper-
ture in the floor, the external entrance to the Royal
tombhouse below; though the mouth of this gloom,-
"chasm, with its cloth-lined walls, was so little dis-
tinguishable amid the general blackness that, had

not its edge been marked with white bands, it might
have been dangerously overlooked by those engaged
in the choir beneath. But in all this there was not
much that differed from other Royal funerals. The
north and south aisles were carpeted with black,
and along the raised dais in the centre of the nave
At either side were rows of seats for the servants of
the Royal Household and the bailiffs and others con
netted with the management of the late Prince's
farms. There was also a gently-sloping incline,

leading from the:southern door up to the dais, foi
the passage of the bier; but, except in these parti
culars, the arrangements were precisely the same al
those made for the funeral of the late Duchess o
Kent.

None were admitted yesterday to the Chapel till
after half past 10 o'clock. Before that hour all the
preparations were complete. The Communion-tablt
rails were draped with black velvet, and the Cora
munion table itself was covered with massive plate,
which showed out with almost startling brightnes,
Amid the black around. To avoid the possibility
,Also of any mischance occurring, the bier was low-
ered to the vault entrance, and raised again, wheal
the aperture was finally closed ; for in these Royal
obsequies the opening that gives entrance at last tc,
the Royal vault is never seen till the service
i.
almost over. The square platform, which is worked
from beneath by powerful machinery, completely
fills the opening. On this the coffin and bier arc
Iplaced, and at the appointed time they slowly sink
out of sight.

Shortly before 11 the chief domestics of the Royal
Household were admitted to the building, and took
their places on each side of the platform leading up
the nave. All were attired in the deepest mourn
ing, and many of the personal attendants of the,
late Prince were deeply affected when the funeral
'began. All who were thus invited to attend
the ceremony were in their
i places shortly be-
fore twelve o'clock, and an nterval:fof silence,
almost of suspense, seemed to reign throughout
!the building. Not a word was spoken, not ft moye-

.........---___
;moment made, and the stillness was painful, as it
..,,
.4
allowed the tolling of the funeral knells and the,
sullen reverberating echo of the minute guns to be!
loudly and distinctly audible throughout the chapel.
1..- It is strange that, while even the loudest peals of
the organ can scarcely be heard beyond the build-
ring, not a footstep passes, and not a word is spoken
loud outside, which cannot be plainly distinguished
in almost every part of the chapel. Thus it wasi
liyesterday that, as 12 o'clock drew near, the quicker
half•minute tolling from all the spires of Windsor
seemed to fill the very chapel with their mournful
booms, and amid all the crackling sound of the long
,''procession approaching over the gravel came nearer
.. every minute. With the first tokens of its approach
, the head of the funeral procession was formed two
deep, passing along down the south aisle and up
._. the centre of the nave to near tho choir. The south
;,
; 1
. door was then opened, and Lord George Lennox,
bearing the Field Marshal's baton, sword, and hat
: of the deceased Prince, followed by Earl Spencer.
carrying his crown, entered the aisle. In a minute
••,. afterwards the coffin was carried in by ten bearers
l
and laid upon the bier. Here it was entirely hidden
under the heavy black velvet pall, adorned at the.
sides with large funeral eseocheons bearing the arms
of her Majesty and the late Prince on separate
shields. Both shields were surrounded by the Gar-
. ter and surmounted with their proper Crowns ;
first, those of the Queen were on a ground of silver'
tissue ; those of the late Prince on deep black ; so
that the contrast between these rich armorial bear-
ings was as startling and marked as that be-
tween the white border of the pall and its gloomy .
centre. When all was arranged the Lord
Chamberlain, accompanied by the Vice-Cham-
berlain, Lord Castlerosse (only four months ago
the genial host of his late Royal Highness at
Killarney), proceeded up the choir to Wolsey'k
chapel, where the Royal mourners had already
assembled, and who at once slowly crossed the
chapel and took their stations in the south aisle at
the head of the corpse. The Prince of Wales, as
chief mourner, stood in the centre ; on his right was
the little Prince Arthur; on his left, the deceased
Prince's elder brother, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg
.:; and Gotha, remained at the head of the coffin
motionless. The Prince of Wales bore up with
great fortitude, and though he, like all the rest, at
times gave way to irrepressible bursts of tears, he
evidently tried to the utmost to restrain his feelings,
though it could be seen sometimes from the working
af his countenance that the effort was too violent for
long endurance.
The Duke of Saxe-Coburg, who was devotedly
Attached to the deceased Prince, to whom he bears a
strong resemblance, was deeply moved and wept
incessantly throughout the ceremony. The Crown •
Prince of Prussia, too, was equally affected. Poor
little Prince Arthur's grief was enough to move the
sternest. He, of course, made no attempt to check
.:
''or hide his feelings. His eyes were red and swollen,
find the tears were running down his cheeks as he '
!,‘ntered the Chapel. As they stood at the head of
1; heir father's coffin, the Prince of Wales turned and.
;poke, apparently, a few soothing words, for after,
this Prince Arthur, for a minute or so, seemed to.
bear up better. It was Lot until the procession
Ibegan to move forward, and the long melancholy
wail of the dirge went echoing through the building.
!that all the little fellow's fortitude gave way, and"
litiding hislface in his handkerchief, he sobbed as if
xis very heart was breaking. As the procession ad-
vanced the commencement:of the Burial Service," 1
lm the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord,"
was sung by the full choir to the music of Dr. Croft.
At the conclusion of the first portion, the bier had
lcrept slowly down to the western extremity of the
I,2hurch, where it was gently moved up the incline to
,he platform up the nave. At the nave was com-
menced the passage—" I know that my Redeemer
liveth," still sun °. to Croft's melancholy dirge-like.
music, so touching, so inexpressibly mournful in its
long, soft cadences. All the servants of the late
Prince stood in the nave as the bier passed, all*
seemed deeply moved, and the grief of many was ,
quite audible. With the concluding words of the pas-
sage, " We brought nothing into this world," the
bier was moved up very slowly, its gorgeous pall con-
cealing
the bearers, who slowly wheeled it forward.-''
with a stiff, creeping motion, into the choir. It was
nearly 20 minutes before the cloth-covered platform
.tver the entrance to the Royal vault was reached.,
Those walking at the feet of the corpse filed off toi
the right and left as the bier neared the Commu- ,
nion rails, and was slowly placed, amid solemn .
silence, on the spot whence it was to be lowered out
of sight for ever. The pall bearers took their stand
near low crape-covered stools on either side of the.
coffin. Viscount Sydney, as Lord Cliamberlain,.;!
stood at the foot of the bier, with Lord Castlerosse,
the Hon. Spencer Ponsonby, and Mr. Marsh. Gar-
ter King at Arms stood on the right. The Prince of
Wales, with Prince Arthur and the Duke of Saxe- .
Coburg, remained standing at the head of the coffin,
And the other mourners in the order in which they
had entered the choir. By the time these arrange- ~.:
ments were completed the chant of the 39th Psalm, t
I said I will take heed to my ways that I offends
not with my tongue," had concluded, and as the last
faint tones of the music died away the platform on'
which the bier stood was slowly lowered till the
coffin itself was level with the floor. The pall was
then disposed around it equally on all sides, so as
to cover all the opening leading to the depth below,:
land the Crown and Field Marshal's insignia were

: L consort. At the same time Lord George Lennox,
• Lord of the Bedchamber, laid the baton of the late'
;i
Prince as Field Marshal, crossed with the sword,l
land surmounted with the Field Marshal's hat and,
t4plume, on :the foot of the coffin, above the insignia
pof the Garter. All these memorials were fastened
1
. to the heavy black velvet cushions on which
they were laid. Thus left alone in the midst of
the vide expanse of black, the melancholy'
,1
gorgeousness of the crimson coffin stood out thoi
one conepicuous centre in startling contrast, almost
the only solitary object in all the Chapel which wal
not covered with black and draped in solemn ,
jmourning. As this last ceremonial ended the at-
tcndants retired from the grave, and there was a ,
silent pause, during which, as the wind mourned
:hoarsely against the casements, the quick sharp
7rattle of the troops outside reversing arms was 4
7 plainly audible.; Then came the muffled toll
of the bell, the boom of the minute guns, and the
coffin slowly and at first almost imperceptibly began
to sink into the grave.
- There was more than mourning at this most
solemn time. The Princes hid their faces and
sobbed deeply. All, not in the Royal train, but in
the chapel, allowed their tears to flow almost un-
checked, and some, such as the Crown Prince of
Prussia and the personal attendants of his late
Royal Highness, among the pall-bearers seemed
not less deeply moved for a time than the Royal
orphans themselves. Still, the coffin continued to
sink. It is but a few short months ago since the;:
late Prince stood at the head of the same sombre.
opening and wept as the remains of the Duchess of •.
-Kent weic in the same manler lowered slowly to,
the Royal mausoleum. The ceremony then was
_.
gloomy and mournful enough, though, after all, it •;.-,'
was but the burial of a member of the Royal family
long retired from 'public life, full of years andi.
honours, and one who had already passed the term ;R
allotted to mankind. But here, with the Prince ,-
Consort, the husband of our Queen, a young mant,,
in the pride of life and usefulness, of health and
strength and manly beauty, the loss seemed more i
than could even then be realised; and it was diffi-....
cult—it seemed almost impossible to believe .rt
that the coffin then so slowly creeping :-
down the wide black groove held all that was,-
mortal of Prince Albert. It was a solemn ';°
period, and a most trying one for the mourners,
whose half-stifled sighs were audible from all ..:
parts of the choir, as with the faintest and slowest -.
..,„
motion the coffin still continued sinking. The x-
silence within the Chapel was intense—every :s?
movement among those present could be distinctly
heard ; the wind moaning round the building .:
sounded with a hoarse rush, which now and then -:
was almost noise, and the muffled knells from all the
spires of Windsor seemed booming above the Royalf:l
grave itself. Slowly fading from the sight the coffin r
gradually became level with the floor, then sank :
deeper and deeper, casting almost a glow of colour
• from its deep crimson sides upon the cloth-lined t
walls of the grave, till it was lost to view for ever,
As the last trace of its gold and crimson crown
%disappeared the service was continued, amid the i<
deepest grief, with the passage, " Forasmuch as it ~
has pleased Almighty God of His great mercy to 2,1'
take unto himself the soul of our dear brother beret
departed." At the proper interval the earth was t,..
thrown upon the coffin, and fell upon its ornaments:
and plate with a sharp rattle that was heard;
throughout the building. Then was sung by the
s,
choir, " I heard a voice from Heaven," to Croft's '
plaintive music; and after the reading of the'
prayer, " Almighty God, with whom do live," was :•
chanted an English translation of another of the'
late Prince's favourite chorales, as follows :
" To Thee, 0 Lord, I yield my spirit,
Who break'st in love this mortal chain ;
My Life I but from Thee inherit,
And death becomes my chiefest gain.
___ , '.
In Thoo I live, in Theo I die,
Content—for Thou art ever nigh." -
The collect concluded the service, and Garter P
King at Arms, advancing to the head of the grave,
proclaimed the style and titles of the deceased
ii
Prince, saying :
" Thus it hath pleased Almighty God to take out of this;
transitory life to His Divine Mercy the Most High, Most 1
Mighty, and Most Illustrious Prince Albert, the Prince
Consort, Duke of Saxony, Prince of Saxe-Coburg and re
Gotha, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and
the most dear Consort of Her Mcst Excellent Majesty Vic-•'
toria by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great 1i
Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, &c., f,
whom God bless and preserve with long life, health, andi
honour."

This formal proclamation has hitherto always con-p
eluded with the words, "Whom God bless and pre.
serve with long life, health, and happiness." But on
this occasion, for the first time during her Majesty's
reign, the prayer for happiness was left out, and
only that for " life and honour" offered. The change
is mournfully significant, though the words we have
quoted were in fact not spoken ; for with the first
mention of the Queen's name Sir Charles Young's
voice faltered, and the concluding sentence of the
mournful prayer, if uttered, was quite inaudible.
Then Dr. Elvey, who presided at the organ, began
the solemn strains of the "Dead March" in Saul, as
the mourners advanced to take a last look into the
deep grave. Tho Prince of Wales advanced first
and stood for one brief moment, with hands clasped,
looking down; then all his fortitude seemed sud.H
denly to desert him, and bursting into a flood ofl
fears he hid his face, and, ushered by the Lord
Chamberlain, slowly left the Chapel. Of the two,
Prince Arthur seemed the more composed at the
end of the ceremony, as Hills unrestrained grief had
worn itself out. All the mourners and those in-
vited to the ceremony advanced in turn to take a
farewell glance at the coffin, and not one looked
down into the deep black aperture unmoved—none
quitted the Chapel without traces of deep and heart-
felt sorrow.

placed at the head and feet.
The Hon. and Rev. Gerald Wellesley, Dean of
Windsor, then advanced to the Communion rails,,
Ind in a faltering voice, 1.. t sonv, times almost inau-
dible, dible, read the lesson, " Now is Christ risen from
the dead, and become the first fruits of them that
ilept." Once or twice during this solemn portion of
the service the Prince of -Wales, Prince Arthur, the
Crown Prince of Prussia, and Duke of Saxe-Coburg,
were totally unable to restrain their tears, in which'
they were silently joined by nearly all present in
the choir. At the end of the lesson the choir sang
the German chorale, " I shall not in the grave rei
1
nain." This hymn, like the chorale which followed'
it at a later portion of the service, were favourite
3hants with the late Prince Consort, by whom it
said their music was composed. It is impossible to
imagine anything more exquisitely touching than
the cadence to the lines,
" So fall asleep in slumber deep,
• Slumber that knows no ending,"

which was chanted:by the choir in wlispered tones
that seemed to moan through the building with a
plaintive solemnity as deep in its sorrow as the note:
of the " Dead March." A rough translation from
the German gives the words of this mournful hymn
AS follows :
" I shall not in the grave remain,
Since Thou death's bonds hast scver'd ;
By hope with Thee to rise again,
From fear of death deliver'd.
I'll come to Theo, where'or Thou art,
Live with Thee, from Theo never part ;
Therefore to die is rapture.
" And so to Jesus Christ I'll go,
ll\ ly longing arms extending ;
So fall asleep in slumber deep,
Slumber that knows no ending,
Till Jesus Christ, God's only Son,
Opens the gates of bliss—leads on
Tu Heaven, to life eternal 1"
Again the Dean resumed the service in a straincdt
and broken voice—for all in the Chapel now math ;.d
no attempt to conceal their emotion—with the sub-
lime passage, " Man that is born of woman bath but,
a short time to live, and is full of misery." Then
was sung, with exquisite pathos, by Mr. Tolley,,
'Martin Luther's hymn," Great God, what do I see;
and hear." P
As the last strains of this solemn chant ended the:
:personal attendants of his late Royal Highness ad-':,
vanced and slowly removed the heavy pall, leavings
'the coffin in all its mournful gorgeousness un-
covered. As this was done Earl Spencer, Groom of.
the Stole to the deceased Prince, placed on the head
above the inscription plate the crown of a Prince

Of domestic love and worth above all heraldry that
ever was emblazoned. With this last act of grateful
care the aperture to the Royal vault was closed, and
thus was Prince Albert, who has lived in honour

and died in fame, buried in the most profound
and deserved grief that has been evinced by any,
nation within the memory of living man.

(From the Court Newsman.)

Their Royal Highness the Duke de Brabant and
the Count de Flandre arrived at Windsor Castle on
Saturday evening, attended by Count de Lannoy
and Major Burnell. Colonel the Hon. A. Liddell,
Groom in Waiting to the Queen, met their royal
highnesses upon their arrival at Dover, and atten-
ded them to the Castle.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and
Gotha (attended by Major Baron Reutern and M.
Samwer), his Royal Highness the Crown Prince
of Prussia (attended by Baron Moltke, Count Fur-
stenstein, Lieutenant-Colonel von Obernitz, and
Captain de Lucadou), and his Grand Ducal High-
ness Prince Louis of Hesse (attended by Baron
Westerweller) arrived early yesterday morning at
Windsor Castle, from Osborne.

His Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe-
Weimar arrived from London at the Castle.
His Royal Highness the Duke de Nemours ar-
rived at Windsor Castle from Claremont to attend
the mournful ceremony, attended by General Count
de Chabonnes.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, his
Royal Highness Prince Arthur, and the illustrious
princes assembled shortly before 12 o'clock in the
Oak-room, and afterwards proceeded in private car•
riages to the Chapter-room of St. George's Chapel.
The canons of St. George's Chapel, Windsor,
present were—the Hon. and Rev. Edward Moore,
'the Rev. Lord Wriothesley Russell (chaplain to his
late Royal Highness), the Rev. Frederick Anson,
and the Hon. and Rev. C. L. Courtenay.
The velvet pall over the body had on each side
three escocheons of the arms of the Queen and the
Prince Consort, each surmounted by a crown. The
arms of the Queen were on a white ground, and!
those of his Royal Highness on black.
The funeral procession began to move up the
choir at 20 minutes past 12 o'clock, and the corpse
was placed in front of the Communion table at 20
minutes before 1 o'clock.

1 The lion. and Rev. Gerald Wellesley, D.D., Dean
of Windsor, read the burial service. Mr. Tolley,
one of the gentlemen of St. George's Chapel, sang
Luther's hymn, at the conclusion of which the pall
was removed from the coin; the crown, and also
the baton, sword, and hat of his late Royal High-
,ness were placed upon it, and the body was lowered
into the royal vault at 5 minutes before 1 o'clock.
The Dean of Windsor concluded the burial ser-
vice.

Sir Charles Young, Garter King of Arms, pro-
claimed the style of his late Royal Highness.
Dr. Elvey presided at the organ.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, chief
mourner, was conducted by Viscount Sydney, Lord
Chamberlain, and Viscount Castlerosse, Vice
Chamberlain, out of the chapel.
The Duke of Cambridge and the Prince of
Leiningen were unavoidably prevented by indispo.
sition from attending the funeral.

Viscount Palmerston was also prevented by
indisposition from being present.
The representatives of his Majesty the King of
Portugal, Don Manoel da Camara and Lieutenant
A. de Sampayo o Pina, did not arrive in time tc
take part in the eeremony.
The Rev. Lord Wriothesley Russell did not walk
in the procession with the chaplains to his loft,
Royal Highness, but among the canons of Windsor.
Dr. Jenner was absent, being in attendance on
the Queen at Osborne.

Baron Lowenfels was not in waiting upon the'
Duke of Saxe Coburg and Gotha. His Royal
Highness was attended by Major von Reutern and

M. Samwer.

Count Kielmansegge, the Hanoverian Minister,
Count Vitzthum, the Saxon Minister, the Duke of
Argyll, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord Byron.
the Earl of Morley, Viscount Clifden, Captain Sill
William Hoste, R.N., Lieutenant-Colonel Kings
cote, C. 8., Lieutenant-Colonel Cavendish, the Hon.
Charles A. Murray, C. 8., Captain the Hon. Joseph
Denman, R.N., and Colonel Tyrwhitt, Equerry to
his Ro3 al Highness the Duke of Cambridge, were
prevented from attending the funeral.
After the funeral the Prince of Wales, Prince
Arthur, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the
Crown Prince of Prussia, the Duke de Brabant, tht
Count de Flandre, the Duke de Nemours, Prince
Louis of Hesse, and Prince Edward of Saxe
Weimar, returned to Windsor Castle.

When all was over, and the last of the long
lingering train of mourners had departed, the
attendants descended the entrance to the grave with
lights, and moved the bier and coffin along the nar-
row passage which leads to the entrance of the
Royalvault. At the bottom of the grave down which
the bier was lowered is a stone passage, about six
feet broad and some eight or nine feet high. On
the right, in a little niche, stands the very simple
machinery used for lowering the biers, and a little
beyond this, in another niche, a row of very tall,
black, gaunt-looking, two-armed wooden cande7
tabra, employed for torches when the Royal
vault itself is opened. For some 12 or 15
feet beyond this the passage continues descending,
and turning a little to the left, till further ingress
is cut off by two plain, rusty, wide-barred iron gates.
This is the entrance to the Royal vault. It is diffi-
cult without strong lights to pierce the intense
gloom which always envelopes this last resting
place of Royalty, and even when its sombre contents'
are revealed there is, after all, but little to be seen.
It is a very plain, wide, lofty stone vault, with a'
groined roof springing from stone columns. On'
either side, supported by these columns, are four
tiers of marble shelves; in the centre are three very,
wide and massive slabs of marble, raised some two
feet from the ground. The side shelves arc des-
tined for the members of the Royal family—the
centre marble tiers for the coffins of monarchs onlyJ, HER MAJESTY.
As the light slowly penetrates this dismal chamber,l•
(From the CM e Circular.)
il
nigh
3h.
two purple coffins, looking almost black in the gloom,k
O
can be distinctly seen at the furthest end, brightlyl The Queen had several hours'SBON
sleep
E, )
last g
reflecting back the rays of light as the beams failand is as calm as could be expected this morning.
upon their richly gilded ornaments, which shine as , —
hough affixed but yesterday. These are the coffins.coffins.Yesterday the sth company of Royal Engineers
of George 111. and Queen Charlotte, Above their t which has been placed under orders to embark fel
heads, but shining out warmly with a bright erim-V3ermuda, was officially inspected at head-quarters,
son glow, are the coffins of three of their children, Chatham, by Major-Gen. Eyre. The company goes,
who died young. At their feet, but some distance out 120 strong. The 26th company of Royal En.:
apart, and quite alone, lies the gorgeous coffin of l gineers will shortly return to England from Ber-'f
George IV. On the centre slab, and nearest to the'q`muda, where it has been stationed five years.
1
!gates, the coffins of William IV. and Queen Ade-§ Capt. Smythe's battery of the 4th Brigade Royal;
laide rest side by side, the Queen being on the';! Artillery yesterday arrived at Woolwich from Al
'left. The light distinctly shows these coffins and 1.
..,- dershot, and will embark at Woolwich on board the:
ttlao yolyet is as soft and rich, and the gilded Plates steam troopship
' Calcutta to-morrow. i
!

His Royal I.lighness the Prince of Wales re-
mained last night at the Castle.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Saxe-Coburg
and Prince Arthur, and his Grand Ducal Highness
Prince Louis of Hesse afterwards left the Castle for
Osborne.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Prussia I
left Windsor Castle in the evening for Dover, to
'I
for the Continent.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke de Brabant
and the Count de Flandre remained at Windsor
Castle, and will leave this day (Tuesday) on their
;return to Brussels.

IHis Royal Highness the Duke de Nemours pro
ceeded to Claremont, and his Serene Hi,ghnes
Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar returned to Lon
don.