Ebt 421ourt.
THE Queen and Prince Albert are paying a round of visits to the country mansions of several noble friends.
They left Windsor Castle on Monday afternoon and proceeded to Cashiobnry, the residence of the Queen Dowager; where they passed three days, in strict privacy. On Tuesday morning, the Royal pair inspected the gardens, orangery, and dairy; and in the afternoon drove over to visit the Earl and Countess of Clarendon, at the Grove, near Watford, and the Mar- quis of Abercorn, at &minions Priory.
Her Majesty and the Prince left Cashiobury on Thursday, for Hatfield House, the seat of the Earl of Salisbury. They proceeded by the pictu- resque but very circuitous route of the Reading and Hatfield road. The weather was bad, and few people turned out along the line; even St. Alban's failed to offer the usual greetings and evergreen arches; and it was not till the cortege reached the town of Hatfield that anything like a grand dis- play was made. Four miles from Hatfield, the travellers were met by the Earl of Salisbury, the Duke of Wellington, and other noblemen and gen- tlemen; who formed an equestrian escort for the remainder of the journey. Hatfield House was reached at half-past four; to the great comfort at least of the party of Yeomanry, who by that time, according to the Times, had begun to exhibit some of that helter-skelter order of horsemanship for which they are remarkable after having ridden long at the rate of fifteen miles an hour.
The Duke of Wellington had a narrow escape. He had ridden on before the royal carriage; on their approaching the mansion, he pulled up to let the Queen's carriage stop at the entrance; but another carriage came up rapidly 'behind, the Duke did not hear the noise, and he was very nearly driven over by the postboys.
Among the guests invited to receive the Queen, were Lord John Rus- sell, Lord Melbourne, and Lord and Lady Beauvale. The whole circle was numerous.
The Queen spent a part of the next morning in the library, examining some.of the Cecil papers; and in the afternoon was driven in a pony phae- ton by Prince Albert to see "the Vineyard," and the old banqueting-hall (now a stable). Her Majesty paid a visit to "Queen Elizabeth's Oak." Prince Albert's morning amusements included an attack upon his host's .game, of which he shot 140 head.
During the absence of the Royal personages, from four to five hundred labourers were regaled on the lawn. They devoured a roasted ox and sundry hogsheads of ale on the occasion.
The Dutchess of Gloucester returned to Richmond on Tuesday, from a tour of visits in the North. On Thursday afternoon, her Royal Highness went to Cashiobary, on a visit to the Queen Dowager.
The Princess of Hesse came to town on Saturday, to see Westminster Abbey and the Colosseum; returning to Cashiobary in the afternoon. Yesterday, her Royal Highness went to see other sights, and finished the evening at the Haymarket Theatre. The Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne spent Sunday at Windsor 'Castle.
Previous page
