Zbe Court. THE first Levee this season was held at
St. James's Palace on Wednes- day. The Queen and Prince Albert and their suite proceeded from Buckingham Palace to St. James's in three carriages, escorted by a party of Life Guards. They were received by the Lord Chamberlain and the Lord Steward, and conducted to the state-rooms, where the levee was held.
There was a numerous attendance. The list of the members of the Corps Diplomatique who were present is long. A great number of ad- dresses of congratulation on the birth of the Princess Royal, from the most distant parts of the empire, were presented to the Queeen. Among the many persons presented, was Sir Moses Montefiore, on his return from the East : Sir Moses presented a copy of the Sultan's firmaa conferring new privileges on his Jewish subjects. Another presenta- tion was Mr. Martin, the first Chief Justice of New Zealand. Sir Powell Buxton, and Commodore Allen of the Niger Expedition, were among the courtiers. Addresses of congratulation on the birth of the Princess Royal were received by Prince Albert and the Dutchess of Kent on Thursday. Yesterday, the Queen held an investiture of the Order of the Bath, at Buckingham Palace. Sir Frederick Adam, Sir Andrew Barnard, and Sir Joseph O'Halloran, were invested by the Queen with stars of the order. Sir Jeremiah Dickson, Lord William Fitzroy, and Sir Edward Kerrison, were knighted by the Queen, and each was invested with the ensign of Knight Commander. After the investiture, the Queen gave audience to the Ashantee Princes, William Quantamissah and John Ansah, accompanied by the Reverend Thomas Pyne. The Queen and Prince Albert attended the Italian Opera on Satur- day, and on Thursday the German. In the course of Thursday even- ing, Prince Albert looked in at the Ancient Concert, in the Hanover Square Rooms. The Dutchess of Kent was at the Italian Opera on Saturday and Tuesday. The ordinary entertainments at the Palace have been broken in upon by these public ones. There was a dinner-party on a small scale, on Monday ; and afterwards an evening party, to which the invitations were more numerous.
Yesterday was the birthday of Prince George of Cambridge. The Queen has given orders for a full-dress ball at the Italian Opera-house, on the 19th of May next, for the benefit of the distressed Spitalfields weavers. Her Majesty has signified her intention of being present, and has requested that ladies will wear dresses of Spitalfields manufacture. The late King patronized a similar proceeding in the winter of 1836.
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