The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-27
SAW VICTORIA CROWNED.
A Baltimorean's Recollection of Her En-
thronemeut Sixty Years Ago.

Mr.. John Carpenter, who has lived here
since 1916, was present at the browning
of Victoria at Westminster. He talked
about the event without hesitation:
'tVictoria, he said, twas declared the
lawful heir on June 20, 1887, but, on &C.
count of her age, she was not yet 1S-the
public coronation did not take place until
June %, 1888. 1t is long while ago.
The pageant was magnificent one. How
long my memory does not serve me, but
it was gorgeous. l saw the Queen. She
was fresh looking young thing, with u
happy, smiling face, as innocent looking
as she was. There was not care upon
her brow. 1t seemed as if no thought of
the stupendous responsibilities which
she was assuming had come to her. She
appeared utterly unconscious of self or
the part she was playing in that notable
event.
''She did not appear frightened, but to
the plaudits of the multitude she turned
to the left and right, bowling and smiling
most graciously. had a good position
on one of the thoroughfares through which
the pageant passed, and got good look
at her. Of course, the trappings of her
horses and the chariot, and everything
else were most gorgeous. And such cheer
ingl Such crowds! People? There were
people everywhere. Strange as it may
seem, though the Queen should have
been the central figure. 1 think what
impressed me most on that occasion was
the superb appearance of Marshal Soult
the French Ambassador, and his staff.
Everything was gorgeous in the pageant,
but Soult was more than gorgeous. can
see his trappings in my minds eye at this
minute. To attempt to describe them
would be beyond my powers. Gorgeous
is all can say for them. And he knew
they were gorgeous. While there was
no self consciousness about the Queen,
there was plenty of it about the French
Ambassador, and the people fed his
vanity, for cheer after cheer rent the air
as he passed by. There were long lines
of respondent soldiery; the brilliant uni
forms, the glittering gold lace, the fash
ing of the arms in the sunlight, the blare
of the trumpets, the cavalcades of horse,
men, carriages of state-everything went
to make up such pageant as is seldom
seen, and can hardly be eclipsed by any
thing at the present time.
"Was the Queen beautiful? I can hard
" say that l obtained any such impression
of her. l think she was pretty. Yes,
know she was. But it was her youth and
her freshness that impressed me most.
She had clear cut features, and her por-
traits of this date show nothing of Il 0
slender young girl with the graceful car
rage remember seeing that summer
day SO long ago.
Mr.. Carpenter has in his possession a
copy of the Sun, a paper published in
London, and probably the only one to be
found in this city of the date of the coro-
nation. 1t was printed at the time in
gilt, all Of which has nearly worn away,
but the paper is in an excellent state of
preservation. On the front page is
vignette profile of the young Queen,
which Mr.. Carpenter says was an excel
lent likeness at the time, and an editorial
note pronounces it triumph of art
The paper was printed on June 20, 1888,
and the number in the possession of Mr.
Carpenter is the twentieth edition. 1t
contains history of former coronations,
the makeup of the pageant and the posi-
lions of the various troops, ETC., in the
coronation parade a sketch of the young
Queen, and every matter pertaining to
the event. There is also description of
the crown which was placed on the head
of the youthful daughter of the Duke of
Kent. This crown was estimated to be
worth over Ill, 900 pounds.-Baltimore
American.