The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-24

End from the Strand to st. James street,
was packed to suffocatlon. Ihe neat was
intense; many women tainted, and the am
balances were kept busy. Trafalgar Square
was the center of an immense throng and
the police had hard work to keep the people
moving. The route along which most Of
the royal family drove to and from Covent
Garden Opera House, was kept clear, but
the sidewalks were crammed by the popu-
lace, who cheered the royal carriages Voclf-
erouSly
Tonight was a gala night at Covent
Garden Opera House where the whole pro-
gramme and performance REJECTED the
greatest credit on Maurice Grau. The event
fairly rivaled the procession as an attrac-
tion to Londoners For miles around Co
vent Garden the streets were crowded and
the crush of carriages was so dense that
many men wearing gorgeous uniforms ant, and
distances amid the varying comments of
the crowd Many others, like the Duke of
Marlborough and the Duke of Devonshire,
drove to the opera house in state carriages.
with coachmen and foOtmen Respondent
in state liveries. In front of the opera
! house was d mounted guard OF honor: in
side the Earl of Lathom, with lot of gold
sticks. awaited the arrival of the royal
party; while beefeaters lined the stairway
and mounted guard outside the royal box.
Meantime the house filled and the scene
was LRost gorgeous. The women blazed
with jewelry; nearly every man wore a
uniform of some sort. while the. Indian
princes, dressed in native costume, occu-
pied prominent boxes and were curious
spectators of the glittering display*
Princess of Wales coming first. Her cos
tune was white. embroidered with SILVER.
Upon her head she wore a beautiful dla-
mond tiara, pearls around her neck ana a
long row of orders across her bodice. As
she entered the royal box the audience rose
and the band played the national anthem.
The rest of the party then hled into the
box each preceded by the Earl of Lathom,
walking backward. Among them were all
the visiting princes and all the members of
the English royal family, except the Queen,
Empress Frederick OF Germany and Prin-
EOaf ,rst,ro vxTaT tod
the curtain rose, disclosing the entire cast
of the opera, among them Madame Melba
and Madame De Res5ke, grouped upon tne
stage. Then followed such rendering Of
the national anthem as it never had before,
after which was carried out Mr.. Grau
carefully arranged programme, including
act of Gounod's Romeo and Juliet and
the fourth act of the ''Huguenots." The
were received with the greatest enthusiasm
and the performance surpassed in every
way the famous gala performance given at
CoVent Garden for the Emperor of Ger
many.
The scene was one of Incompatible love
liness. The whole interior of the structure
was hidden by freshly cut flowers prnci-
pally roses. The upper tier of boxes was
a mass of Marechal Mel roses, the next
tier mass of pink roses and the bottom
tier of rich dark red roses. White flowers
adorned the royal box which was sur
mounted by an enormous floral crown OF
crimson roses and golden orchids The box
was decorated in Louise XVI style, the
chairs and settees being covered with white
and yellow silk. The same material, f1uted
and patterned into diamonds, formed the
ceiling The box was a beautiful picture.
The Prince of Wales wore the red uniform
of a field marshal and among all the other
princes there were no two uniforms alike.
The royal group seemed a collection of gilt
tering orders and beautiful gowns. The
Princess of Naples wore some wonderful
diamonds and Grand Duchess Sorgtus dis
played the largest emerald in the world: 1t
was noticeable, however, that the royalists
were less lavish in jewelry than many la
dies in the other boxes, who were fairly
plastered with gems. The audience includ-
ed all the leaders of official and social Eng
land and all of the ambassadors. Embas-
sador Hay with Miss Hay and Spencer Ed
dy occupied his own box.
The Queen has ordered special diamond
shaped medal struck in gold and silver for
presentation to all the lord mayors in
the United Kingdom the lord proVosts and
the provosts. 1t will be worn with ribbon
in the usual manner.
Alle the London newspapers, fron1 the
Times down, express the greatest grat1fica-
ton at the kindly comments of the Amer
lean newspapers on the Queens jubilee and
at the vivid accounts of th8 celebration
contained in the newspapers OF the United
States.