Year: 1877

lL.J.J.'s London Letter to the New York


Norld.l


And now all is ready. The house is dense
ly packed above stairs and below. Through
the oped doors on each side of the throne
dazzling figures fitted occasionally across
the scene-general officers in their uniforms,
heralds with their tabards, the out-of-date
but striking dress of the yeomen of the
guard. Through one of these doors i catch
glimpse of the prince of Wales, and in
few minutes he enters with the princess
fat and rather clumsy-looking man by
the side Of a delicate but beautiful woman.
All the crowd present rise to their feet, and
the prince and princess incline their heads
slightly towards them. Then the prince
ascends the throne and takes his seat in the
smaller chair at the right hand of his mo-
theirs, pulling the end OF his mustache the
while with q nervous movement. His bulky
form completely fills up the char. / notice
that he is well nigh as bald as a robin. The
princess, pale and very thin, remained be-
low, leaning against the big red box or table
called the ''woolsack, quite alone, and look
ing rather ''lOst' and forlorn. The prince
beckoned some officer to him (I think Lord
Aveland, the lord great chamberlain),
and whispered some few words to
him. This officer went down the
steps and whispered TO the princess, who
presently afterwards sat down on the edge of
this most awkward though perhaps dignfied


perch" the woolsack. With her back to
the audience and her face To the throne, one
was almost disposed 10 think it scant cour-
tesy that she was not, at least, allowed to
take chair. But rule and custom are all
potent, aud they require that princess of
Wales should sit tif she can) upon wool
sack. fancy that if she had sat down fairly
upon it her feet would have dangled in the
arr and it seemed TO me that she merely
leaned against it, and was doubtless very
glad when the distant sound of trumpets
found its way into the, house.


For this denoted that 'the Queens Most
Excellent Majesty" as the court newsmah
describes her was on her way TO the cham
ber In a few moments there slowly entered
long and, to my eyes, stately procession
pursuivants and heralds in the magnificent
costumes of their craft, bright with gold and
scarlet, dresses most quaint and picturesque,
but impossible TO describe. Then followed
great officers of state-the Duke of Rich
mond, the Duke of Norfolk Earl Marshal)
and many more, all bowing low to the throne
as they passed, and towards the house. Then
came a lady in a very long dress, Ozark
in color but with lace plentifuliy scattered
over it, and with ribbons and orders and
diamonds innumerable upon it. This was
the queen She advanced in dead silence
took up her position in the chair. and sat
perfectly still while one could have counted
10. Her lace, II truth must De spoken. DdS
become very red. / mean no disrespect
when ! compare it to the face of somewhat
elderly cook who has been hard at work
over the kitchen fire. But the diamonds
upon her head and neck fairly da7zled the
eye, even in daylight, and no wod-
der, for she wore the far famed
Koh-i-noor as brooch, crown
of diamonds on her head, and necklaces
and other adornments OF matchbess beauty
and priceless value Who could venture TO
estimate the value of the jewels worn by
the queen this afternoon? They made a
bright white light on her dark dress and
took off almost all appearance of her being
in mourning Every time she moved rays
of prismatic hues seemed TO dart from her
in all directions. Many of these diamonds
! belong to the crown, and perhaps there
would be more still to show If the loot
carried off by old George l. to Hanove;
could be recovered.


In a moment or two the hurry and noise
of the approaching commons was heard, and