The Placer herald., 1862-02-15
Funeral of Prince Albert.

business was suspended in anticipation of the
event. The procession moved at noon, at
Windsor Castle, and proceeded to the Chap
ell the Prince of Wales and royal mourners
having previously assembled in the "Oak
Room" First come nine mourning coach
es, drawn by four horses, containing the
physicians and other members of the royal
household. The carriages bore no orna'
ments at all, but the horses were caparison-
ed in black velvet and pumes. Next came
a carriage drawn by six horses, in which
were the Earl Spencer, groom of the stole,
carrying the crown, and Lord Lennox, car
rying the hat, sword, and baton of the de-
ceased. Following this was the hearse, a
very plain but elegant affair." drawn by six
black horses; on the hearse and the trap,
| pings of the horses were the escutcheons of
the Queen and consort, those of the former
in silver and those Of the latter in jet. Four
state carriages brought up the rear. The
cortege moved slowly, attended by no mill
tary music. The silence was only interrupt
ed by the knelI Of the cas,e-bel and the
boom Of minute guns heard in the distance
The distinguished personages, including the
ministers and officers of the Queens house
hold, mostly arrived at the chapel during
the hour from l to ~ o'clock, and took
the seats assigned them. Among these were
the Earl Of Derby. Archbishop Of Canter
bury, and Earl Russell The royal mourn
ers collected at the door of the Chapel Roy
al little after II o'clock, and at ~ l. 2
O'Clock the hearse arrived at the door.
The coffin was borne by five on either
side, and laid down on the bier, and mourn
ers formed about it, the Prince of Wales
occupying the position as chief mourner, at,
tended 10y his younger brother, Prince Ar
thur. The crown was borne upon a black
cushion by the Earl Spencer, preceded by
Lord George Lennox, lord of the bedcham'
Der to the late Prince, bearing the baton,
sword and hat. The Prince of Wales ap.
peared very much affected, and often shed
tears as the procession moved along, some
times trying TO comfort his younger broth
er who wep incessantly The Duke Of
SAKE Coburg brother to the deceased, was
prominent among the mourners. The dark
ness of the day increased the dmness of the
religious light which struggled through the
stained lass window above the communion
table. and tell lightly upon tie banners that
dir I'idttN III we uil'tillH. hlniSt ~ SoCH'
ed Impossible to see anything, bat as the
eye became accustomed to this literally fu
neral darkness. the appropriateness Of the
preparations was very evident. Everything
was drapcd in black; the laised platform
down the central nave, the steps leading to
the chancel, the communion table, and the
walls btlind it, were covered with black veil
vet should add that the aisles also were
car eted with bla k.
Slowly aud solemn Y the procession NOV,
ed on willie the grand old burial service
was chanted by full choir. Ina little over
twenty minutes from the time of starting,
the platform over the vault was reached,
when the Prince of Wales, Prince Arthur,
and Duke of SAKE Coburg took their posi-.
ton at the head of the coffin, while the rest
of the mourners passed by. The choir sung
German chorale, after which the pail was
removed from the coffin, and the crown,
sword, baton, aud the feld'marshal's hat
and plume we've laid upon it. Then came
the most solemn moment Of the occasion.
The old bell tol.ed hoarsely, and slowly the
coffin began to sink into the grave, while in
the distance were heard the minute guns.
The members of the royal family wept
aloud, and still the coffin sank slowly. slowly,
and the bell tolled, until it disappeared be-
meath the floor. And thus Prince Albert,
the Royal Consort, was laid in his final res
ting place
From the bottom of the grave stone
passage descends, till further ingress is cut
off by two plain, rusty, wide barred gates.
This is the entrance to the royal vault, with
groined roof springing from stone col
umns. 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 o. ound. The side shelves are destined
for the members of the royal family-the
centre marble biers for the collins of NOM
archs only. As the light slowly penetrates
this dismal chamber, two purple coffns,
looking almost black in the gloom, can be
distinctly seen at the turthest end, as the
beams fall upon their richly gided orna-
ments. These are the colfins Of George I'LL.
ann Queen Charlotte Above their heads,
but shining out warmly with a bright Grim
son glow, are the cotfins of ,hree Of their
children, who died young. At their feet,
but some distance apart, and quite alone,
lies the gorgeous coffin of George w. On
the centre slab, and nearest to the gates, the
cof1ins of William ". and Queen Adelaide
rest side by side, the Queen being on the left
There are no coffins on the right side of the
vault but on the left are those of the Duke
of York, the Duke Of Gloucester, the Duke
of Kent, and the Duke of Cambridge. The
coffin nearest the gate is that of the Prn
ces Charlotte of Wales. Along this pass
aoe the bier of the late Prince WAS wheeled
Till the foot of the coffin was at the gates OF
the royal vault. On the day after the fnner'
al a Oneen's messenger brought from vs.