The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-29 00:00:00

THE ROYAL VISIT TO CASTLE

HOWARD.

CASTLE HOWARD,AuG :24.—The weather, which
throughout yesterday Wai wtt, stormy, and disagree-
able, has cleared up this morning, and though there
has been a smart breeze blowing, her Majesty ha,
been enabled to see the beauties of Castle Howard in
all the advantageous lights which sunshine and a
clear sky impart. She had hardly arrived yesterday
evening when darkness closed in, and though the rain
had almost ceased, every object looked dismal, except
the lights gleaming from the windows of the royal
banquet room, and from the lofty cupola of the dome
surmounting the centre (.f the building. At the din-
ner covers were laid for 35, and among the company
present, besides her Majesty and Prince Albert, were
the Countess of Carlisle, and Lady Mary Howard,
the Duchess of Sutherland and Lady Constance
Llveson Gower, Mr. C. W. Howard, M.P.,
Captain E. G. Howard, M.P., and Mrs. How-
ard, Master Howard (heir presumptive to the title
ar;d estates of the Carlisle family, the Hon.
W. F. Lascelles and Lady Caroline Lascelles,
the Hon. F. and Lady E. Grey, Mr. Prescott
and Mr. Prescott, jun., Viscount Clifden, the lion.
J. A. E Hs, Lady Dover, the Hon. Miss Ellis, the
lion. Miss Diana Ellis, Lord Dufferin (Lord in
tVaiting), the Marchioness of Douro (Lady in Wait-
ing), the Hon. Miss Lennox (Maid in Waiting),
Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps, Colonel the Hon.
Alexander Gordon, Sir George Grey, Sir James
Clark, Major Trench, and General Sir W. Warre.
From an early hour this morning groups of visi•
tors, most of them country folk, began to assemble in
the park, their movements along the avenues and over
the greensward giving to the whole scene a very ani-
mated appearance. The stables where the royal
equipages were collected formed an especial object of
attraction, and all the ornamental edifices with which
the grounds abound came in for their due share of
inspection. The principal group of spectators formed
in line along the roadway opposite the north front of
the castle, and here they waited till the royal visitors
should make their appearance out of doors. Their
patience was somewhat taxed. Her Majesty and the
Prince breakfasted at ten o'clock, and about eleven
walked for some time in the private grounds and
woods on the south side of the castle. Here several

trees were planted by the Queen to commemorate her
visit to Castle Howard. Her Majesty in the course
of the morning visited the principal apartments of the
mansion, and expressed her admiration of the many
interesting and valuable works of art which they con-
tain. Among other objects, one, which I omitted to
notice in my letter yesterday, is the pillar from which
the Pythoness delivered her responses in the Temple
of Delphi. It: is about three feet in height, and a
plain round block of sandstone without ornament of
any kind. An additional interest attaches to this
curious relic of Greek mythology from the fact that
it was presented to the Carlisle family by Lord
Nelson, whose glorious victories are commemorated
by a small but not inelegant pillar raised on the
grass-plot which occupies the hollow space left by
the semicircular form of the castle on its north front.
At 12 o'clock the royal party visited The cricket-
ground, and witnessed for some time the play of the
Castle Howard Club vti hile engaged in that truly
national sport. The Earl of Carlisle is particularly
fond of this game, and the spot devoted to it in the
park being surrounded by an amphitheatre cf noble
trees and ornamented by flags and tents, has a very
pretty appearance. About 2 o'clock luncheon was
provided in the castle for a party of 70, and after it
the royal visitors proceeded to inspect the fine herd of
short-horned cattle with which the park is stocked,
and upon the merits of which Mr. Henderson, the
Earl's land-steward, feels a very natural and laudable
pride. The stock of cows deserve especial praise
for their symmetrical proportions and evident purity
of breed. A catalogue of them which I have seen
records their names and descent with a care
and particularity worthy of the College of
HeraldQ, and not inconsistent with that regard fur
" blood" which, if justifiable in any family, ought
to be so among that of the Howards. At 3 o'clock
her Majesty and the Prince drove round the park,
and admired the splendid prospects and the stately
avenues with which it abounds. There are many
noblemen's seats, the grounds round which display
evidences of a more active superintendence and a
more expensive outlay, but there are few with a
richer variety of scenic effects dependent upon the
natural beauty of the woods, and the fine undulating
sweep of the land. The whole proceedings of the
day were of the most quite, unostentatious character,
and in complete keeping with the privacy which her
Majesty wishes to preserve in visiting Castle Howard.
So little formality was there that the crowds of
visitors flocking there to catch a glimpse of the
Queen, and who during the morning kept respetfully
at a distance, in the after part of the day occupied,
in the form of a well-conducted mob, the en-
tire approach to the castle, up to the very steps
of the main entrance. Her Majesty was received
wherever she went with every sign of loyal at-
tachment. The number of people assembled was
very considerable, but not so large as to produce the
tumultuous character of a town demonstration of
loyalty—Times.