be eourt.

THE Queen has again been absent from Windsor Castle on a visiting expedtion. The preparations for it began on Saturday, with the de- parture of Sir Robert Peel and other visiters.

Saturday was the birthday of the Prince of Wales ; who was amused in the morning by an inspection of the troops stationed at the Castle ; the soldiers performing a variety of evolutions in the Home Park, and firing a fen-de-joie before the Queen and Prince Albert, the little Prince and his two sisters.

On Monday, the Queen and Prince Albert walked to Frogmore, to see the Dutchess of Kent.

At noon, her Majesty and the Prince, with the suite, left the Castle, and came by the Great Western Railway to town ; arriving at Bucking- ham Palace at one o'clock.

In the afternoon, the Queen paid visits to the Princess Sophia, at Kensington, and to the Dutchess of Gloucester, at Gloucester House. Meanwhile, Prince Albert transacted business in the office of the Dutchy of Lancaster, at Somerset House. At night, her Majesty and the Prince went to Drury Lane Theatre.

The Queen and Prince Albert left Buckingham Palace a little before nine o'clock on Tuesday morning, for the Euston Square station of the Birmingham Railway. The party occupied three carriages and four, and were guarded by an escort of the Seventeenth Lancers. The station was fitted up in the usual way for such occasions, with scarlet cloth, scarlet carpeting, and the like.

The cortege arrived at nearly a quarter after nine o'clock : the tra- vellers entered the special train reserved for the Queen's use ; and in ten minutes it was flying over the face of the country at a pace of fifty or sixty miles an hour. In spite of the rain, which fell with scarcely an interval throughout the day, numbers of persons assembled at differ- ent points on the line, to cheer, sing " God save the Queen," and so forth. After passing Triog, the pace was not so rapid, as the special train bad started only a quarter of an hour after an ordinary train, which was now too little in advaace to make the royal rate safe. The Weedon station was reached at seventeen minutes to twelve.

Here suitable accommodation had been prepared for the Queen to alight. The Marquis of Exeter, Lord-Lieutenant of the County, Sir H. Dryden, High Sheriff, Sir Charles Knightley, and other country gentlemen, stood ready to receive the Queen. The road from the station was lined with infantry. The houses were decorated with flags and garlands ; and the whole population of the place was in the streets. The Queen and her party entered several carriages, and drove off under an escort of the Seventh Hussars. The incidents of the road were such as have now grown familiar to the Queen,—triumphal arches of evergreens and abundance of flags; crowds in their Sunday best ; bands and charity children, playing or singing "God save the Queen." At Northampton, the cortege was escorted into the town by the Mayor and Corporation all in their robes. They presented an address, which was graciously answered impromptu. Kettering was one of the places where the horses were changed, and there the travellers alighted for a few minutes. Beyond Weldon, at Dean Park, a large body of Lord Cardigan's tenantry, mounted, lined the road and fell in with the line of procession ; which was subsequently joined by horsemen and carriages in great numbers ; the lengthening train still going forward at a very rapid pace, and presenting the aspect, with the evergreen arches, the flags, and the holyday spectators, of a kind of triumphal flight. At Duddington, four or five hundred of Lord Exeter's mounted tenantry joined the troop. Thus the Queen approached Stamford ; which was in as animated a state as any of the other places on the way.

At the entrance of the town, the road to Burghley turns to the right ; and up this road the Mayor and Corporation with the trades of the town, in procession, conducted the cortege to the entrance of Lord Exeter's seat. The Marquis, who had ridden on before as an avant courrier. stood ready with the Marchioness, Lord Thomas Cecil, Sir Robert Peel, and some of the principal guests, to receive her Majesty and the Prince on alighting at Burghley House. The Queen affectionately saluted Lady Exeter, and was conducted to the drawingroom.

At eight o'clock there was a grand banquet in the banqueting-hall. The Queen sat at the centre of the table, Prince Albert on her right, the Marquis on her left, and the Marchioness next to Prince Albert. Among the guests were Sir Robert Peel, the Duke and Dutchess of Bedford, the Duke of Rutland, the Earl of Aberdeen, Earl Spencer, Lord Stanley, Lord and Lady Willoughby, Sir George Clerk, Lord Lovaine, several members of the suite, and other distinguished persons, forty in all. Music was performed during the banquet, and after it, while the Queen was in the drawingroom. Her Majesty retired for the night at a quarter before eleven o'clock.

The town of Stamford was in a high state of excitement that day. The Corporation held a meeting and adopted an address to the Queen. The inhabitants subscribed for an entertainment to the school-children and the poor, to which the Marquis of Exeter contributed 50/. By his invitation, 150 of the tenants dined at the George Inn, and numbers more at other inns.

The Queen and Prince Albert attended prayers in the chapel at nine o'clock on Wednesday morning. The seat on which Queen Elizabeth sat in the same chapel is still pointed out. The Prince was to have gone out shooting on Wednesday, but the had weather prevented all out-door amusements ; and, as a substitute, the Royal visiters went over the whole mansion, not forgetting a survey of the kitchen. The Prince ventured on a short walk after luncheon.

The ceremony of christening the Marquis's youngest daughter took place, in the chapel, at six o'clock in the evening. The Bishop of Peter- borough performed the ceremony, with the assistance of the Reverend Alley. Prince Albert was godfather to the child ; Lady Sophia

Cecil and Lady Middleton were the godmothers ; the name given was "Victoria." The Queen was present, though taking DO part in the ceremony ; but after it she affectionately kissed her little namesake. Prince Albert presented a very handsome gold cup, with the inscription, "To Lady Victoria Cecil, from her godfather, Albert." The interval before dinner was filled up with a display of fireworks in the Park behind the mansion, the guests viewing it from the windows. A bridge was brilliantly illuminated ; and the blazing architecture, re- flected in the water below, had a beautiful effect.

Dinner was served as before, in the banqueting-hall. The newly- named Lady Victoria was duly toasted, by command of the Queen. Sir James Graham had joined the party. Thursday being rather a better day, the Queen walked out in the grounds after breakfast, with Prince Albert ; and after that, the Prince went out shooting with the Marquis, the Premier, and a few other guests.

Some of the guests left the mansion this morning. In the afternoon, the Royal party, in three carriages, paid a visit to the town of Stamford. The authorities had but one hour's notice of the intention ; and in that brief interval there was a miraculous growth of evergreen arches and window-frames, flags, and special constables. The people were multitudinous ; the cheers were as deafening as could be wished ; the bows of the Queen and Prince incessant ; and her Majesty often laughed heartily at the scamperings of the people, pur- suing her with sounds more stirring than an ode of Pye's. Having driven a good deal about the town, the party went on to the village of Wothorpe, to see some ruins and a stud of young horses belonging to the Marquis. Returning to Burghley, the farmer Prince inspected Lord Exeter's live stock. Afterwards, the Queen planted an oak, and her Consort a lime, near a lime planted by Queen Elizabeth. Later in the day, the Mayor of Stamford presented an address to her Majesty; and the Mayor of Northampton brought home a pair of Wel- lington boots for Prince Albert—a sample, presented from the Corpora- tion, of the town's staple trade. There was the usual grand dinner ; and at night a magnificent ball, which the Queen and Prince witnessed from seats of state raised on a dais. The Royal pair retired to the supper-room at half-past eleven o'clock, and remained there a few minutes ; then withdrew for the night. The guests did not go till past two o'clock. Yesterday morning at nine o'clock, her Majesty took leave, on her return. The homeward journey was precisely like that down ; the lieges having, with an economy in their labour of love, kept up the triumphal arches and so forth. Going by railway from Weedon to Euston Square, the Royal travellers thence proceeded to Paddington, and on to Windsor ; where they arrived at ten minutes to seven o'clock in the evening. The Dutchess of Kent, who had been paying a few days' visit to town in their absence, had returned to Frogmore in the morning.