Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-01-24
THE FUNERAL OF PRINCE ALHERT

0AAAAAE 2AAtAaD Ahit dl nLllAJAAn hN4C HASoNAHA
at al the principal churches on the loss the Brit
ism nation has sustained in the removal by death
Of the prince eOnsoTt of England Yesterday,
with little OF the pomp and pageantTy OF a State
ceremonial. but, with every outward mark Of re-
spect, and with all the solemnity which behtted
his high station and his public Virtues, the NOR
tai remains of the husband Of our Queen were
inferred in the last resting place of Englands
sovereigns-the Chapel Royal of st. Georges,
Windsor. By the express desire of his royal
highness, the funeral was Of the plainest and
most private character; but in the chapel, 10 do
honor to the obsequies, were assembled all the
choicest men Of the State, and throughout all
England, by every sign of sorrow and mourn
ing, the nation manifested its sense of the loss
which it has sustained. Windsor itself wore an
aspect Of the most profound gloom. Every shop
was closed, and every blind drawn down. The
streets were silent and almost deserted, and all
who appeared abroad were dressed in the deep
est mourning. The great bell of Windsor Castle
changed out its doleful sounds at intervals from
an early hour, and minute bells were tolled also
at St. Johns church.
At the parish church of Clover and at st.
Johns. there were services in the morning and
] afternoon, and the day was observed throughout
the royal borough in the strictest manner. The
weather was in character with the occasion; a
chill, damp air, with a dull, leaden sky above,
/ Increased inc EAOUlu LACn uuu2 UNGI all 1ltIb
were but few visitors in the town, for the process
sion did not pass beyond the immediate precincts
of the chapel and castle, and meme were admitted
except those connected with the castle and their
friends. AT IL o'clock a strong force Of the A
division took possession OF all the avenues lead
ing to the chapel royal, and from that time only
the guests specially invited and those who were
to take part in the ceremonial were allowed to
! pass. Shortly afterwaTd a guard of honor of the
i [H-.noIs,w HronH- IS uuhT.l -.--L.a+ h.- r.-rl
highness was colonel, with the colors of his regi-
ment shrOuded in Grape, marched in and took up
its position before the principal entrance to the
Chapel Royal. Another guard of honor from the
same regiment was also on duty in the quad
rangle, at the entrance to the State apartments.
. They were speedily followed by a squadron of
the Second Life Guards, dismoUnted, and by
two companies of the Fusileer Guards, who were
drawn up in single file along each road by which
the procession was toe pass, from the Norman
gateway to the chapel door. The officers wore
the deepest military mourning-scarts, sword
knots, and rOSettes of Grape. In the Home park
was stationed a troop of horse artillery, which
commenced firing minute guns at the end Of the
Longwalk, advancing slowly until 1t reached the
castle gates just at the close of the ceremony.
The ministers, The officers of the Queens house.
hold, and other distinguished personages who
had been hOnOred with an invitation to attend
the ceremonial, reached Windsor by g special
train from PsddingtoR. They were met by car
riages provided for them at the station, and
began to arrive at The Chapel Royal soon after
eleven o'clock. The Earl of Derby, the Arch
bishop of Canterbury, Earl Russell, and the
Duke of BUccleUch were among the first to
make their appearance, and as they alighted at
the door of the chapal they were received by
the proper officials and conducted to the seats
appointed for them in the choir.
In the great quadrangle were drawn up the
hearse and the mourning coaches, and, all the
preparations having been completed within the
castle, the procession began to be formed shortly
before twelve o'clock. 1t had been originally
intended that it should leave the castle by Saint
Georges gate, and, proceeding down Castle
Hill, approach the chapel thrOu h Henry WIS
gateway, but at a late hour this arrangement
was changed, and the shorter route by the Nor
man gateway was chosen. The crowd which
had gradually collected at the foot Of Castle Hill,
owing to this change saw nothing Of the process
sion but the empty carriages as they returned to
the castle after setting down at the chapel. The
few spectators who were fortunate CROUCH to
gain admission to the lower ward stood in a mar
row fringe along the edge of the flags in front Of
the houses of the poor Knights, and their pres
ence was the only exception to the strict privacy
Of the ceremonial The Prince of Wales and the
other royal mourners assembled in the oak room,
but did not form a part Of the procession. They
were conveyed to the chapel in private carriages
before the coffin was placed in the Aearse, pass
ing through St. Georges gateway into the lower
ward.
In the first carriage were the Prince of Wales,
Prince Arthur, and the Duke Of SAKE Coburn.
The Crown Prince of Prussia, the Duke Of Bar
abaEt, and the Count of Flanders followed in
the next and in the others were the Due de Ne
mours, Prime Louis Of Hesse, Prime Edward
of Saxe-WeimeT, and the Maharajah Dhuleep
Singh, with the gentlemen of their respective
suites. Scarcely had they slghted at the door
Of WOlscy's chapel, from which they were con-
Quoted through the chapter room to the door Of
the Chapel Royal, to be in readiness to meet the
coffin, when the first minute gun fred in the dis
lance, and the rattle of the troops reversing
arms announced that the procession had started,
and exactly at twelve o'clock the first mourning
coach moved from under the Norman gateway.
First came mine mourning coaches, each drawn
by four horses, conveying The physicians, eqer-
RES, and other members of the household of the
late Prince. In the last were the Lord Steward
Earl st. Germans and the Lord Chamberlain
discount Sidney aud the Master Of the Horse
(the Marquis of Alesbury). The carriage and
trappings were Of the plainest description the
horses had black velvet housings and feathers,
but on the carriages there were no feathers, or
ornaments Of any Kind.
The mourning coaches were followed by one OF
the Queens carriages, drawn by six horses, aud
attended by servants in State liyeries, IN which
YVES the Groom Of the Stole, Earl Spencer, carry
ing the crown, and a lord Of the bedchamber,
Lord George Lennox, carrying the baton, sword,
and hat Of his late royal highness. Next, escort
ed by q troop of the Second Life Guard, came
the heaTse, drawn by six black horses. which,
like the carriages, was quite plain and unOrna
mented. On the housings Of the horses, and on
the sides Of the hearse, were emblazOned the
Of her majesty and of the Prince,
each suTGounted by a crown, the Princes arms
being in black and her msjesty's in white. The
procession was closed by four State carriages.
THE ROYAL VAULT.
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
tie right in a little niche, stands the very sim
pie machinery used for lowering the bieTs, and
a little beyond this, in another niche,%Tow of
very tall, black, gauntloSing, two armed
wooden candelabra, employee for torches when
the royal vault itself IS opened. For some
twelve or fifteen feet beyond this, the passage
continues descending, and turning a little to the
left, till further ingress is cut of by two plain,
rusty, wide-barred iron gates.
This is the entrance to the royal vault. It is
a very plain, wide, lofty stone vault, with a
graRd roof s~pringing from stone columns. On
the other side, supported by these columns, are
four tiers of marble shelves in the center are
three very wide and massive slabs of marble,
raised some two feet from the ground. The side
shelves are destined for the members of the royal
family-the center marble biers for the collins
of monarchs only. As the light slowly pene-
trates this dismal chamber, two purple collins,
looking almost black in the gloom, can be dis
tinctIy seen at the further eEd, brightlyreaeeting
back the rays Of light as the beams fall upon
their richly gilded ornaments, which shine as
though affixed bat yesterday.
These are the cofins Of George Ill and Queen
Charlotte. Above their heads, but shining out
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