Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-30
TIE QUEEN AND DUCHESS or ED-
LNBERGH Nv LONDON


The London correspondent of the New
York Times, writing under date of March
| 18th says:
The procession of to day is another happy
hit to be scored to the credit of the new Gov
ernment. II is very long time since any
thing so brilliant in the way of a royal pa
geant has been seen in London the people
have been RECALLED not merely with sight OF
the Queen and the most recent addition to her
family, but with really impressive and pic
turesque show. This is the first time for
many years that the people of London have
had genuine opportunity OF seeing the
Queen, and, above all, of seeing her attended
with anything like the state with which the
idea of a sovereign is popularity associated.
A generation has grown up that never really
had a chance of seeing her. 1t is well that
her Ministers should now try to persuade her
to quit her solitude, and to come more among
her subjects. And to-day, at least, this de-
sire was fully gratifed. Her march was OF
stately kind, without in the least degree vlo-
lating good taste or reasonable moderation.
She was attended by large and brilliant mil
itary escort, including the very pick of Eng
lish troops-thc historical Grenadiers, the
Horse Guards, red and blue, the Royal Horse
Artillery, (the finest horse regiment in the
world the famous Rifles prince Arthur's
regiment and other infantry and crack reg
iments of light cavalry. A large body OF
sailors and marines from the feet also
summoned to take part in the display. Some
Of these troops escorted the Queen through
out, others lined the streets as the procession
passed through and then fell in behind, so
that by the tine the Queen reached Char
ing Cross she had great military retinue.
All this gratified the popular eye, and gave a
hint of the power which royaly symbolizts;
but what pleased the people most of all was
the slow pace at which the cortege moved
along.
Every body had a good chance of seeing the
Queen, and t,ey were also very wiling TO
look at the Duchess. They could see their
faces with almost leisurcly Inspection they
could see how they looked, and what they
had on, and could carry away with them a
definite impression of what Queen and an
imperial Duchess were like in the flesh; and
| should say that on most minds the impress
sion which was left was very agreeable one.
The Queen looked fresh aud we'll, and was
evidently much grarifed by tie reception.
She bowed necessarily, now on one side, and
now on the other, wi h an earnest devotion
to the duty of the moment, and an ardent con
scienliousness to discharge it to the utmost OF
human capaci y tharwas really touching.
The Duchess sat by the side of the Queen,
and opposite were the Duke of Edinburgh in
naval uniform, and his sister, the Princess
Beatrice, a comely. sensible looking girl in
blue silk. The Duchess looked in every way
better than on Saturday, when she was ia
tigued and agtated. She has a bright, pleas
ant expression, to which her photographs ut
terly fail to do justice. The photographer
gives you features in hard grim outlines. and
the Duchess features, taken to pieces one by
one, no doubt vary somewhat from the severe
classical type of beauty. But she seems to
have vivacity, quickness of observation, and
sympathetic instincts. She looked like a
good little woman who was deeply touched
and delighted by the greetings of the vast null
ttude, file upon file, tier upon tier, along all
these miles of densely packed thoroughfares,
with house-tops peopled too, and who would
have been glad tn jump down from her car
rage and shake hands with some of her new
friend but as she was boxed up there, she
could do nothing but bow, and this she did
quite earnestly, but with more animation and
brightness, than her mother-in-law. 1t may
be said, lest pity for the distressing exercises
of these amiable ladies should become excess
i've, that they are assisted in their bowings by
spring cushions of superior elasticity; still,
the strain on the neck must be equal to a
highly acute rheumatism or neuralgia. So
don't let us all want to be Queens or Grand
Dnrhpss