The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-04-03
THE QUEEN AND HER PARTY.

And now there was a movement of all
eyes up to the Southeast corner of the
chapel. There is figure in black, in wild
ow's weeds, in the corner of the royal
closet. 1t needs not the broad blue rib
bon of the Gartar across her shoulder and
the silver star of India on the breast to
tell us that it is the Queen. She takes in
the scene below with aquiet, dignified, "
hurried look, and then eagerly watches
the train which her position commands
through the choir door along the nave.
From the organ gallery we can catch a
glance at the train as it sweeps from the
west door, headed by the Maharajah Dhu-
leep Singh, shawled and turbaned, and
looking like bird of paradise is his golden
garments, which yet are distinguished by
that absence of glare and tawdriness which
marks the good taste of the East. Next
comes a flush of uniforms and
blue, and white, and cherry color, starred
with crachats and barred with ribbons,
many hued as to caff and facing, but all
of the severe continental cut-their Royal
and Serene Highnesses of Sake -Weimar
and Leiningen, Holstein Glucksburg and
SaXe-Coburg, Flanders, and Hesse-Cassel.
Their Royal Highnesses William and Fred
erick of Denmark, brothers Of the bride.
handsome and manipulating youths, are
the most observed of this group; but at
tention soon passes from them to the royal
ladies, superb in diamonds and stately
sweeping trains of MORE or velvet, chiefly
in shades of mauve, violet and purple, and
flounced or richly brocaded with lace, of
which even at this distance we can distin-
guish the beauty and precociousness. The
Princess Christian ofDenmark, the young
matron-fair mother of a fairer daughter
leads in either hand the young sisters of
the bride of to-day, who look around them
with delight at the splendor which must
be almost as startling to their young minds
as the magnificent popular welcome of the
last week.
THE ROYAL SUITE.
Heralded by drums and trumpet, whose
blare and beat die away as the procession
reaches the choir, to give place to the ma
jestic jubilant harmony of Beethoren' 3,
g Triumphal March," appear number of
officers of state. Then comes the stately
form and regal beauty of the Princess Ma
ry Her purple train is borne up by the
Lady Edith Somerset. All note the grace
of her inclination as she bends her head in
respect to the Queen, when well within
choir. She is followed by her mother, the
Duchess of Cambridge, whose train is
borne by the Lady Geraldine Somerset.
And then, touching all hearts, come the
children of the Queen-little fair-haired
Princess Beatrice, led by her graceful Sis
ters, Princess Helena and Louisa, and
little Leopold and Arthur hand in hand in
Highland dress, looking about them with
the happy unconstrainedness of childhood.
No wonder the Queens heart, already
moved perhaps by the noble music Of Beet
hoven, is sadly stirred at the sight ofthese
fatherless ones, and that for the first time
since she has entered her closet visible
trace of sorrow is observable on that firm
ly sustained face. The shadow is lighted
up again by smile. of motherly greeting
as the young Princess of Hesse advances
in her yet tender and innocent beauty by
the side of her husband, Prince Louis,
with her train bearer and attendant, fol-
lowed at as short an interval as her trail
ing train of purple velvet will allow, by
the Princess Royal of Prussia, leading her
fair-haired little son, in Highland garb,
like his little English uncles. Her train
of velvet, covered with magnificent lace,
and bordered with ermine, is borne by the
Countess of Bruhl, and the procession is
concluded by the royal suite.
ENTRANCE OF THE HAPPY PAIR.
Again the notes of drums and trumpets
swell into the stately sounds of the royal
bands, and the organ laundering out Men
delssohn's March, from "Athalia," the
youthful bridegroom enters the choir, and
bows deeply to the Queen. He wears
the robes of the Garter, over Generals
uniform, and is supported by his brother
in-law, the Grown Prince of Prussia, and
the reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg, who
outshines all the foreign royalty and no.
bility of the show in his thew and sinew,
in his free and gallant bearing, and in the
manly beauty of his bronzed face. The
Prince has taken his seat on the haut pas,
with his supporters little behind him.
He has answered his mothers smile of
recognition with a smile. AS he sits, it is
easy to see, by bis frequent turn of the
head, and his glances toward the nave,
that he, like all others, is impatient for
her who is to come next-the crown and
flower of this array of rank and splendor.
He has not long to wait. It wants quar-
ter to one when again the sound of drum
and trumpets has passed into the nave,
and hum of expectation makes itself au-
dible, and to the massive strains of Han
del's March from "Joseph" comes the
procession OF the bride. Pale in her maid
en- modesty, under the light shade of the
bridal wreath, and the cloud of her white
viel, her bridal nosegay of white azalees
and lilies of the valley, the Princess Alex
andra moves along, and pausing, makes
her respectful reverence to the Queen;
she takes her seat in front of the altar