Sin Court.
THE Queen's Birthday has marked the week with splendour and re- joicing; for although the fair Princess was given to the world in May, the public celebration of the event was arranged to be on the 24th of April. Betimes on Thursday morning, the universal ringing of the bells re- minded the people to be loyally gay ; and they obeyed, for the crowded streets of the Metropolis bore evidences of a very general holyday, al- though the shops were unclosed. At ten o'clock, Prince Albert, accom- panied by the King of the Belgians, the Duke of Wellington, and seve- rdl distinguished officers, inspected the Household troops on the parade
in St. James's Park ; several companies of the three Regiments of Foot Guards performing a variety of evolutions. An immense crowd of holyday-makers witnessed the review. At one o'clock, a double royal salute was fired at the Tower and in the Park, and at all the naval and military stations throughout the United Kingdom.
But the grand ceremony of the day was the Drawingroom at Bucking- ham Palace. The Queen and Prince Albert arrived at Sr. James's: from Buckingham Palace, in the usual state, at a quarter before two o'clock. The King of the Belgians, the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge, and Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, also arrived, and were conducted to the Royal closet. Next came the Bishops : they were ushered into the Royal closet ; where the Archbishop of Canterbury delivered a con• gratulatory address to her M. jesty, and then the reverend body retired. The Royal party entered the Throee-room. The Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House of Commons, and the Judges, had come in State; the Knights of the several Orders wore their collars ; and the varied dresses of the numerous assemblage displayed the wonted magnificence. After the ceremony, the Queen and Prince Albert returned to Buck- ingham Palace. Accordiug to custom, the several Ministers gave great full-dress dinner-parties. Iu the evening there was a grand ball at Almack's; and at the Italian Operahouse the performance was counted as one of the subscription. The clubhouses, theatres, Royal tradesmen, and many bodies of a public character, exhibited illuminations. Although thus limited, the display w as imposing; for the illuminators were suffi- cient in number to turn night into day in most of the principal streets, especially at the West-end ; and the occasional intervals of darkness acted as a foil to the masses of brilliancy : thus some parts of Bond Street and other great thoroughfares in the neishbourhood presented pictures of light that shone more magnificently than in a general illu- mination ; especially when several devices were seen together from a distance, in mingling lines and piles built in jewels of flame.
The King of the Belgians held a diplomatic levee, in the Library at Buckingham Palace, on Saturday. The members of the Corps Diplo- matique attended in full dress, and were presented to his Majesty by M. Van de Weyer.
Visits were paid at Buckingham Palace, on Saturday, by the Dutchess of Gloucester ; on Wednesday, by the Queen Dowager ; yesterday, by the Princess Sophia Matilda ; and the Dutchess of Kent has been a frequent guest.
Prince Albert, accompanied by other members of the Fine Arts Com- mission, went on Saturday to inspect Westminster Palace, in order to ascertain the progress made in building the new Houses ofParlia- ment.
On Wednesday evening, Mr. Cherles Kemblc read to the Queen and Court Shakespere's play of Cymbeline, slightly compressed.
Yes erdey, the Queen Dowager gave a grand dinner and evening entertainment to the Queen and Prince Albert, and the King and Queen of the Belpians ; the select party invited to meet the illustrious guests including Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar.
The Dutchess of Kent has left England for a lengthened sojourn on the Continent. During the last few days of her stay, her Royal High- ness paid visits to the Queen Dowager, and at Buckingham Palace ; and received visits from Queen Adelaide, the Duke and Datchess and the Princess Mary of Cambridge, the Prince of Leiningen' and Prince Ed- ward of Saxe Weimar. On Tuesday, the Queen, Prince Albert, the King and Queen of the Belgians, and the Pr ince of Leiningen, arrived at Clarence House, from Buckingham Palace, before nine o'clock in the morning : at a quarter past nine the Dutchess took her leave, and departed with the Prince of Leiningen. The travellers proceeded by the railway to Dover ; crossed the Channel in the Princess Alice war-steamer ; landed in Boulogne at three o'clock ; and arrived at the Tuileries in time for dinner ! Her Royal Highness is said to travel in- cognita, as "Dutchess of Dublin."
There have been exchanges of visits between the Queen Dowager and the Cambridge family and the Dutehess of Gloucester.
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