The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-04 00:00:00

MORNING SUN

OPENING of PARLIAMENT.

THE ROYAL PROCESSION.

Yesterday was the first gloomy, damp, and
cheerless morning that has witnessed a Royal
" Progress" since her Majesty's accessioi. On
all other occasions the days have been nearly as
bright and cheering as the prospects of her libe-
ral reign; yet the Park, and the approaches to
the Palace and the Houses of Parliament, were
prodigiously crowded. About one o'clock the
Horse Guards, Blues, and Grenadiers, took up
their position, forming an avenue from the Mar-
ble Gate to the House of Lords, and the bands
of the Coldstream and Grenadiers commenced
playing on the lawn, first, several marches, then
" Rule Britannia," and, lastly, "God Save the
Queen," as the Procession commenced its pro•
gress, which was at half-past one precisely. The
King of Prussia left the Palace in one of the
Royal carriages, attended by fbur footmen,
in the Royal State liveries, and a Guard
of Honour from the Life Guards, shortly
before the departure of her Majesty's
cortege. His Majesty was recognised only in
Whitehall and at the entrance to the House
of Lords, in consequence of the rapid rate at
which he was carried.
The Queen was accompanied in the State car-
riage by his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
and by the Master of the Horse and the Mis-
tress of the Robes. She looked remarkably well,
and was greeted with continued cheering, along
the route, by the vast assemblage, which perhaps
outnumbered any that we have seen collected
upon a similar occasion. It may be supposed
that the great object of curiosity was to see the
King of Prussia, which a very small number in-
deed of those whom it had brought together,
were able to gratify. Her Majesty was also very
much cheered upon her return to the Palace.
On the arrival of the Royal Procession at the
House of Peers, her Majesty was cheered most

vociferously. The Duke of Wellington was
likewise cheered, but the cheers for his Grace
were not nearly so enthusiastic as those for her
Majesty. The Duke of Cambridge was likewise
very well received. When the King of
Prussia and his suite arrived, Baron Von
Humboldt, who was recognised by some
one in the crowd, and was cheered by name,
on alighting from his carriage to attend upon

his Prussian Majesty, was received with loud
cheering and clapping of hands. The King
of Prussia was likewise received with loud cheer-
ing, but, with the exception of her Majesty, no one
was cheered so heartily as Baron Von Humboldt.

INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE OF

LORDS.

We have on many occasions witnessed the imposing
ceremony of the opening of the Imperial Parliament by
the Sovereign in person on the—Throne, but we never
recollect an occasion upon which greater anxiety
was displayed to obtain admission to the House
of Lords. Long before the hour of admission
the passages connected with the. House were crowded
with ladies, in full dress, who most patiently waited the
arrival of the hour of admission, nothing daunted by the
cold and dampness of the day. The doors of the
galleries, and those leading to the body of the House,
were opened precisely at twelve o'clock, and very few
places in the galleries appropriated to Members of the
House of Commons and Strangers were unoccupied in a
quarter of an hour from that time. All the seats were
removed from these galleries, and the ladies by whom they
were filled were obliged to stand from the hour of admission
to the time of her Majesty leaving, an exertion which
seemed to be thought nothing of in comparison with ob-
taining a sight of Royalty. The House, since the last
Session, has undergone considerable alterations for the
better, the dark red paper, with which the walls were
then encumbered, has been removed, and in its place a
warm stone-colour paint substituted, which gives the House
a lighter and more pleasant appearance. The pannilling
work on the ceiling is coloured in dark brown,
which forms a very happy contrasts-with the stone

colour in the interior of the pannels. The Throne
has been newly gilt, andthe velvet re-decorated ; and at
the foot of the Throne a new carpet has been laid down.
To the right of the Throne, and on a level
with, it is placed a most splendid Chair, of State
for the Prince of Wales, the back of which
is magnificently ornamented with the plume of his
Royal Highness. To the left of the Throne, and one
step below it, a chair of state has also been placed for
his Royal Highness Prince Albert and to the right
of the Throne, on the floor of the House, in front of the
Archbishops' Bench, two chairs were placed, one for
the King of Prussia. and the other for the reigning Duke
of Saxe Cobourg Gotha. Seats were reserved in the
House for the Foreign Ambassadors, Peeresses, and
those Ladies who had been fortunate enough
to obtain numbered cards for them from the
Lord Great Chamberlain. _ Those ladies who had
not been successful in obtaining such tickets, were

obliged to stand in places appropriated for them in the
body of the House. The arrangements for the conve-
nience of the reporters were excellent, the front seats

being reserved for them. Amongst the earliest arrival
of Peers we noticed Lord Wynford and Lord Glenelg.
Among the Peeresses we noticed the Countess of El-
don, Lady Bloomfield, the Duchess of Richmond, the
Marchioness of Camden. Lady Redesdale, Lady Dinorben,
Lady Monteagle, Lady Campbell and Stratheden.
Among the Peers present we observed the Earl of
Chichester, Lord Glenelg, Lord Wynford, the Bishop of
Norwich, the Earl of Redesdale, the Archbishop of Can-
terbury, the Earl of Camden, the Archbishop of York,
the Bishop of Exeter, Lord Hatherton, the Duke of
Richmond, the Earl of Roden, Lord Dinorben, the
Bishop of Worcester, the Earl of Sheffield, the
Earl of Digby, Lord Forester, the Marquis of
Thomond, Lord Lowther, Lord Monteagle, Lord
Clifford of Chudeley, the Marquis of Clanricarde, Lord
Vivian, Lord Hawarden, Lord Fitzgerald and
Vesci, Lord Campbell, the Marquis of Nor-
manby, the Dukes of Buccleugh and Buck-
ingham, the Earl of Aberdeen, the Duke of
Sutherland, the Marquises of Lansdowne and Anglesea,
Earl Fitzwilliam, and several others. At a quarter past
one o'clock the Lord Chancellor, _robed as a Peer,
entered the House, and took his seat on the Woolsack.
Shortly afterwards all the Judges entered and took their
seats around the,Lord Chancellor. At half-past one the
Duke of Cambridge, dressed in a Field Marshal's
uniform, with his Royal robes, entered the llouse.
accompanied by Prince George. In a few nnin'ites
afterwards the reigning Duke of Saxe. Gotha,
dressed in the uniform of the Austrian Hus-
sars, entered the House, and was conducted .by the
Dvputr Usher 'of the Black Rod to the Chair Of State
provided. for .Irlttf on the floor of the House. At
twenty minutes to two his Majesty the King of
Prussia entered the, House, dressed in the uniform of

the Royal Prussian Guards, and wearing the collar of the
Order of the Garter. His Majesty was preceded by the
Duke of Wellington carrying the Sword of State and
was conducted to the Chair of State appropriated for
him, and immediately entered into conversation with
the Duke of Cambridge and Pritice George. His Majesty's
suite followed immediately, and took their seats among
the Foreign Ambassadors. On his Majesty entering
the House all present rose, and continued standing
until the arrival of the Queen. At seven mi-
nutes after two o'clock the approach of her Ma-
jesty was announced by the tiring of cannon,
and at a quarter past two her Majesty, preceded by
her great Officers of State and accompanied by Prince
Albert, entered the House, and took her seat on the
Throne Her Majesty bowed graciously to the King of
Prusga, and the Duke of Saxe Gotha, and after desiring
their Lordships to be seated, commanded the Usher of
the Black Rod to summon the Commons. Shortly
afterwards the Speaker, attended, by a great number of
Members, appeared at the Bar, and her Majesty then
read the Speech from the Throne, which will be found in
another column.
Her Majesty was dressed in a splendid white satin
dress, beautifully embroidered with gold, and seemed
in excellent health and spirits.
The general appearance of the House was magnificent
in the extreme and the display of beauty was
ealtculated to impress the illustrious foreigners present
Frih a high idea of the charms of our countrywomen.
Ilrr Mitjesty left the House at twenty-five minutes
before three, and returned to Buckingham Palace,
accompanied as befor,!.
The King of Prussia left immediately after her Ma-
jesty, and the House al.lourneil during pleasure.