On Wednesday, the Queen opened the Imperial Institute in •
state,—that is, the cream-coloured horses drew her carriage, and the great officers of state, the Judges, and the Lord Mayor attended in their robes. The most striking fea- ture of the external pageant—the presence of specimen troopers from Canada, Australia, and India—we have dwelt on elsewhere, but may notice here that the Blue-jackets in straw hats, who formed part of the guard of honour, received, as usual, a great deal of applause. Inside the temporary hall, an address was read to the Queen by the Prince of Wales on behalf of the Governing Body of the Institute, and to this the Queen, seated on Runjeet Singh's " golden throne," replied in conventional phrases appropriate to the occasion. The Queen's voice is said to have been as clear as ever, but she showed her- self somewhat infirm in walking. The assembly in the hall was very brilliant, all the men being in robes, uniform, or levee dress. The bright weather and the fact that the Queen's route was through the Park made the pageant a particularly pleasant one to the Londoners, who turned out in thousands.
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