The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-02-14 00:00:00

THE BANQUET IN THE EVENING.

In the evening a very splendid banquet was given in the
Banqueting-hall built by George IV.
Before the commencement of this splendid feast the guests
invited, who consisted of most of the individuals present in
the morning, and of other noble and distinguished persons,
assembled in the Throne-room, and the Council-chamber,
and Drawing-room adjoining. The Earl of Errol, as Lord
Steward, acted in the capacity of host, and, at twenty minutes
past eight, the company proceeded to the Banquet-hall,.the
band of the Coldstream Foot Guards, which was placed in
the ante-room, between the Gallery and the Banquet-room,
playing " God save the Queen !" The decorations of the
Banquet-hall and tables were most gorgeous, including the
whole of the costly gold plate usually kept at Windsor, which
was arranged on a temporary sideboard, erected for the pur-
pose, at the west end of the room. The room was lighted
by five splendid chandeliers, of rich workmanship and gild-
ing, and candelabra, bearing almost innumerable wax lights,
which were placed on the tables, and imparted a brilliancy
to the glittering plate, exhibiting a most enchanting scene.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent sat at the table
at which the Earl of Errol presided. When we say that the
noble earl was president, however, we should explain to our
readers, that, although his lordship acted as president of the
feast, her royal highness was, in fact, the chairwoman of the
top table. Her royal highness was supported on the right
by the Earl of Errol, and by the Earl of Albemarle on the
left. The long table on the right of the chair was called Mr.
Byng's table, being presided over by the Right Honourable
G. S. Byng, Comptroller of the Household, while Mr. Mur-
ray acted as chairman of the table on the left-hand side.
The dinner having been served, at about twenty minutes to
ten o'clock the dessert was placed upon the table. At five
minutes before ten the Earl of Errol rose and gave " The
Queen," with three times three. All the guests immediately
responded to the toast with evident heartfelt satisfaction.
The cheers were long and continuous, and, as they concluded;
the band played the national anthem. The glasses were then
replenished, and the noble chairman proposed, " His Royal
Highness Prince Albert," with three times three, a toast
which was responded to with equal alacrity and with equal
cordiality. Prince Albert's march was then performed by
the band.

" The health of the Queen Dowager" was next drunk, and
was followed by the-glee, " Hall, Star of Brunswick !"
" The health of the Duke of Saxe Coburg" was next
drunk, and was followed by that of "The Duchess of Kent,"
which was drunk with three times three.
he only other toast drunk before the retirement of the
ladies was " The health of Prince Ernest."
At twenty minutes past ten the ladies quitted the Ban-
queting-room, the Duchess of Kent going first, preceded by
the Earl of Errol, the Earl of Uxbridge, the Earl of Sur-
rey, and the honourable Mr. Murray.
In a short time afterwards the Duke of Saxe Coburg and
Prince Ernest quitted the banquet-hall similarly attended.
The party then broke up and retired to the coffee-rooni at
about half-past ten o'clock, and by eleven all had departed,
the greater portion of them going to the ball given by the
Duchess of Sutherland.

THE THEATRES AND OTHER PLACES OF
PUBLIC AMUSEMENT.
In consequence of arrangements having been entered into
by government with the proprietors of the patent and minor
theatres, and most of the well-known concert-rooms and
tea-gardens in the suburbs of London, the public were ad-
mitted gratuitously to their different establishments. The
proprietors very wisely took the precaution of admitting the
public by tickets only, in order to prevent accidents at the
opening of the doors by the rush of the crowd. On Monday
morning it having been announced in the bills of the-per-
formance that tickets for the boxes. pit, and galleries, were
to he obtained at certain hours in the morning, the exteriors
of the theatres, long before the box-offices were opened, were
literally besieged by persons of all classes anxious to obtain'
tickets of admission, a limited number of which were only
issued. In the evening, shortly after the doors were opened,
all the theatres, in every part, were crowded to excess. In
most of the theatres the national anthers was sung by the
vocal corps, and, at the Victoria, an additional verse, writ-
ten for the occasion, was introduced•

THE ILLUMINATIONS.
In the evening the metropolis was very generally illumi-
nated, though not to such an extent as on former ocea:lions.
The most brilliant displays were at the clubs and public
buildings, and at the west end of the Strand, Cockspur-street,
Charing-cross, Regent-street, and Piccadilly. So were they
at the Kensington eud, from Knightsbridge onwards. Here,
indeed, the enthusiasm seems to have centred ; almost every
house was illuminated ; flags and banners waved from all
parts ; and, as soon as the marriage was over, the crowd's
thronged in that direction. The whole of Oxford-street, the
north part of the town, and the City-road, exhibited a most
beggarly account, and even in the city the good folks were