Zbe Zourt.
Winnson has been again shorn of the Royal presence; the Queen and Prince Albert having departed on a short visit to Stowe. Some public business has, however, to be recorded, before we ems to the Royal progress. On Friday, the Queen gave an audience to the Duke of Sotomayor, the Spanish Ambassador; 'who delivered his credentials. The Duke remained at the Castle as a visiter, with his Dutchess; and departed on Saturday. The Queen helda Court and Privy Council on Monday. It -was attended by Prince Albert and several of the Ministers. Reports relative to Guernsey and some other matters were submitted to her Majesty.
Among the visiters at the Castle have been, the Earl and Omintess of Jersey and Lady Clementina Villiers, the Earl and Countess of Dalhousie, Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston, Sir Henry 'Wheatley, and Sir Roberi Peel.
The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by a small suite, left Wind- sor Castle at a quarter to eleven o'clock on Wednesday morning; the party occupying three carriages. From Slough to Paddington theirroate lay by the Great Western Railway. After a call at Cambridge House, the travellers proceeded to the Euston Square station of the Birmingham Railway; where they found rooms fitted up with scarlet cloth, attendant Directors, spectators admitted by tickets cheering their valedictions, and other incidents ,of Royal railway-travelling, that have 'become too familiar to be now minutely described. The special train started a little before one o'clock.
From London to Wolverton were seen the customary crowds of people gathered here and there, especially at the stations, to see and cheer. At Wolverton were stationed to receive the party, Lard Carrington, Lard-Lies- tenant of the county of Buckingham, Militia, Yeomanry, and special con- stables, on horse and foot; with shoals of people, and the usual accom- paniments of music and hurrahs. Having entered carriages, the party set out, under an escort of Yeomanry, for Stowe; passing through triumphal arches of evergreens, and crowds of rustic gazers elated and loyal, in
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the holyday best. Some way on the road, Lord 0trrin• glen and his troop relinquished their charge to Major Lucas and the Newport squadron. At Page Hill, a troop of Buckinghanishire Hussara, under Captain Carrington and the Marquis of Chandos, assumed the guard. The town of Buck-. ingham entered at three o'clock, was filled with triumphal arches, decors tions (evergreens, mottos to be Illuminated at night, &c. &c. Here a pro
cession was formed—of Yeomanry, Borough-officers, a band, gentry and clergy, members of the Corporation the Royal cortege, and various
trades-societies. Opposite the Town-hall, the Mayor tendered his mace; which the Queen graciously desired him to keep; and the travellers went on.
Approaching Stowe, the scenery becomes more polished; with main- lacing ground, lawns, old trees, parks, deer—and the mansion in the vista, seen through a handsome arch at the entrance to the grounds, and between
two large pavilions that flank the carriage-road. Within the arch were troops of horsemen, many of them tenants to the Duke, who joined the procession; in the park also were stationed labourers in waggons and on
foot, some hundreds in number. The arrival was greeted by a report from a great gun at the lodge-gate; and the Duke of Buckingham, with the Dutchess, hastened to the portico of the house to receive their august visitors; a band striking up "God save the Queen" as her Mkesty alighted. After entering a vestibule, in which a select party of guests had assembled, the Queen, by her own desire, came out in one of the colonnades, leaning upon the Duke's arm, and greeted the rustics; who cheered lustily.
In the evening, there was a grand dinner, though the guests were not numerous. At the table were, Sir Robert and Lady Peel, Earl and
Countess Delawarr and Lady Mary West, the Earl and Countess of Jersey
and Lady Clementina Villiers, the Earl and Countess of Orkney, the Earl of Aberdeen, the Marquis of Chandos and Lady Anna Grenville, Lord and Lady Nugent, the Marquis of Breadalbane, Sir James Graham, General
Wemyss her Majesty's Equerry, Colonel Bouverie Prince Albert's Equerry, the Honourable Mr. Anson Prince Albert's Secretary, Lord and Lady
Southampton, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts' Sir Thomas Aubrey, Captain Car- rington, the Reverend Mr. Andrews the Duke's Chaplain, Mr. Lowth his Librarian.
The band of the First Life Guards, that had performed at the dinner, played a selection of the newest opera and dance-music during the evening. At nightfall, the mansion was illuminated. Her Majesty and the Prince retired to rest at midnight.
On Thursday morning, the Royal couple rose early; and having break- fasted in their private apartment, attended Divine service in the chapel, at nine o'clock; and then took a walk in the pleasure-grounds.
At ten o'clock, Prince Albert, with his host, Sir Robert Peel, and some others of the gentlemen, sallied forth for a battue. Two covers were entered, and resounded with an incessant popping of fowling-pieces: Prince Albert killed 114 hares, 29 pheasants, and 1 snipe; the whole of the killed was '200 hares, 100 pheasants, and the snipe aforesaid. The Prince% shooting was much admired—" he hit almost everything he fired at? Sir Robert Peel is said not to be so good a shot as he ORM was. The sports-
men returned to the house to lunch; and after Itmeheon, the whole party cf guests, to the number of twenty, walked in the grounds; the weather .being beautifully mild and clear. Respectable persons were admitted to loiter about the park; but there was no unseemly intrusion on the visiters.
In the afternoon, Mr. Smith, the Mayor .of Buckingham, presented addresses from the borough to the Queen and Prince Albert.
In the course of the day, Mr. Smith, the Librarian, and Dr. Buckhtnd, a newly-arrived guest, exhibited and explained to her Majesty the contents of the Museum.
At the dinner appeared, in the place of a few who had departed, some other guests—Sir Harry and Lady Verney, Sir John Chetwode, Sir Thomas Fremantle. Music again enlivened the repast; and in the evening the performers were reinforced by M. Jullion's band.
Yesterday was almost a repetition of Thursday ; except that among the incidents was the planting of an oak and a cedar each by the Queen and her Consort, and that at night there was a grand party.
It is understood that the Queen returns to Windsor today.
The hopes of an heir in the second generation to the house of Mecklen- Isurg-Strelitz have been for the present disappointed. On Monday, -a bul- letin was issued from Cambridge House, announcing, that at half-past six o'clock that morning, the Hereditary Grand Dutehess had been" safely delivered of a Prince; which survived its birth but a few minutes." The fact was duly notified in the London Gazette on Tuesday. The Dutchess bas since been going on very well. As soon as the event was communi- cated, the Queen and other members of the -Royal Family sent to make inquiries. The Dutchess of Gloucester called in person on Monday, Thurs- day, and Friday. On Monday, Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar, and a host of diplomatic and other distinguished persons, made inquiries; a long list of such calls appearing daily. The Queen and Prince Albert -called on Wednesday, on their way to Stowe, and remained for half-an-hour at Cambridge House; and on the same day the Dutohess of Kent paid a visit.
The Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge, with the Hereditary Grand Duke -and Dutchess -of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, dined with Count Ifielmansegge, the Hanoverian Minister, on Saturday.