5 FEBRUARY 1842, Page 5

Zbe (Court.

THE Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by Prince Ferdinand ot Saxe Coburg, arrived at Buckingham Palace, from Windsor Castle, at twenty minutes past two o'clock on Wednesday, in a carriage and four, escorted by a party of Hussars. Prince Augustus and Prince Leopold of Saxe Coburg, and the Royal suite, followed in three other carriages and four.

At half-past two, the Queen held a Privy Council. Sir Robert Peel had an audience of the Queen. The Duke of Buckingham next had an audience to resign the Privy Seal. Audiences to the Earl of Jersey, Sir fames Graham, and Lord Wharncliffe, followed. Then the Duke of Buccleuch was sworn of the Privy Council, was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of the county of Roxburgh, and received the Privy Seal from the Queen ; taking the usual oaths on each appointment. The Marquis of Salisbury was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Middle- sex ; the Marquis of Exeter of Northampton. The Queen's Speech on the opening of Parliament was arranged and agreed upon. And finally, Lord Ashburton had an audience of the Queen.

The Queen and Prince Albert visited the Queen Dowager on Wed- nesday afternoon.

On Thursday the Queen went to open the session of Parliament. A little before, the procession left Buckingham Palace Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, with Prince Augustus and Prince Leopold, took his de- parture to attend the ceremony. Next went the King of Prussia in one of the state carriages, his suite in two others; four of the Q,Passet:'s foot- men in state liveries, and an escort of Life Guards, attending his Mat jesty. The Queen and Prince Albert left Buckingham Palace at twenty minutes before two o'clock, in the state-coach drawn by eight cream-coloured horses, preceded by five state carriages, and escorted by a party of Life Guards. The Queen and her German visiters had all returned to Buckingham Palace by a little after three o'clock.

The Queen gave audiences yesterday to Lord Granville Somerset, the Judge Advocate-General, Lord Stanley, and Sir James Graham.

In the evening, the Queen and Prince Albert went to Covent Garden Theatre : the performances were the School for Scandal and the pan- tomime; but the Royal party did not leave the Palace till a quarter before ten—too late for the comedy.

The King of Prussia has pursued a round of unceasing activity throughout the week. The programme of his movements at the end of last week and the beginning of this was not accurate ; as the following account will show.

Chevalier Bunsen was honoured with his Royal master's visit on Satur- day. The King arrived from Windsor at two o'clock at the residence of the Prussian Legation, on Carlton House Terrace, and lunched with the Chevalier at a quarter past three. Among the guests, were the Earl of Westmoreland, the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Ashley, Viscount Palmer- ston, Sir Walter Farquhar, Sir Robert Inglis, Baron Von Humboldt, Lieutenant-General Von Natzmer, Count de Stolberg. Major-General de Nieumann, M. Muller, M. de Meyerenck, M. de Branchtsch, Mr. Annesley, Count de Goltz, Count Schlippenbach, Archdeacon Wilber- force, Captain Trotter, (of the Niger Expedition,) Mr. Henry Acland, Mr. Murchison, (of the Royal Geological Society,) the Honourable W. Cowper, Professor Hoffer, the Reverend William Holleyburp, Mr. J. J. Gurney, Mr. Cotes, Mr. W. H. Hamilton of the Geological So- ciety. The King examined a collection of curiosities brought from the Holy Land ; and expressed himself especially interested in some water and bitumen from the Dead Sea, and other things of the same kind. At twenty-five minutes past six o'clock, the King returned to Windsor, by the Great Western Railway.

Sunday was no day of rest for the illustrious visiter ; he came to town, and attended Divine service at St. Paul's Cathedral. On his arrival at St. Paul's, he was met by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs, and was escorted to a stall prepared for his reception in the choir. When the service was over, he went to the Mansionhouse, and partook of a dejeuner ; at which, in accordance with the King's expressed wish that all formality should be dispensed with, the invitations were limited to a very few. The Duke of Cambridge was present, as well as the Lady Mayoress and Mrs. Fry. On perceiving Mrs. Fry, the King said, in an earnest tone, " Ah, my dear friend, I am very happy to see you." He then walked arm-in-arm with the Lady Mayoress into the drawing- room. The dejeuner was cold, with the exception of the soup; and no toast was proposed. At its close, the Lady Mayoress presented the King with a Bible in nine languages; which he graciously accepted. On leaving the Mansionhonse, at two o'clock, the King drove to the King of Hanover's residence in St. James's Palace, and after viewing the state rooms, visited the Duke and Dutchess of Sutherland at Stafford House. Thence he went to attend Divine worship in the Royal German Chapel, St. James's. He then paid half an hour's visit to the Dutchess of Gloucester, at Gloucester House ; and left town at five o'clock for Windsor.

The King took his departure from Windsor Castle, with his suite, on Monday, and arrived at Paddington a little before one o'clock. Part of the suite was sent to Buckingham Palace. The King, attended by the High Constable of Westminster, proceeded to the new Model Prison in Copenhagen Fields ; where he was received by Major Jebb the Superintendent, Mr. Russell and the Reverend Whitworth Russell the Metropolitan Prison Inspectors, Mr. Grissell the contractor for the building, and Mr. Bowley the Clerk of the Works. The Royal visiter minutely inspected the whole; and it is said that he was " evidently much surprised" at the ingenuity shown in the arrangement of the chapel, in which each prisoner will have a separate seat, so contrived that while all have a clear view of the officiating clergyman, they will be unable to see each other. On leaving the place, the King observed, that he could only compare the structure to the 4g of Columbus, on account of its great simplicity. Thence the illustrious foreigners went to Newgate ; where a large party of officials and dilettanti in prison dis- cipline were assembled to show the lions—the Sheriffs, the Under- Sheriffs, the Governor of the prison, the Ordinary, the Surgeon, Sir James Duke, the Lady Mayoress and a large party, Mrs. Fry, Mr. and Mrs. Gurney, Miss Frazer, and a large body of ladies constituting the Committee of the Ladies Benevolent Society for the Instruction and Reformation of Female Criminals. Mrs. Fry played the part of cice- rone in chief; the King giving her his arm. She led him to the female ward ; where she took a seat at the head of a table, the King on her right, the Lady Mayoress on her left ; and the female prisoners were assembled around the table. Mrs. Fry then entertained the Monarch with a full account of all that the Ladies Benevolent Society had done to reform the female wards ; once so bad that "it was unsafe for the Governor, and more so for herself, to venture into them." Mrs. Fry read to the prisoners two chapters from a religious work, and concluded with an extempore prayer ; the King and suite kneeling, with all the company. With Mrs. Fry the King then drove to Whitechapel : there post-horses were placed in his carriage instead of the Queen's horses, and the party went to Mrs. Fry's villa at Upton, where a dejeuner was served. At a quarter past five, the King reached the King of Hanover's apartments in St. James's Palace, on his return ; and at a quarter before six, he went to the Queen's private box at Drury Lane Theatre, the play being performed earlier at his request. "God save the Queen" was sung ; after which, three hearty cheers for the King of Prussia were set up by the audience. The play was The Two Gentlemen of Verona :

the King held a book in his hand, and followed the actors line by line. Soon after eight o'clock, as the performers assembled for the conclusion he stepped out unobserved. At nine, be honoured a ban- quet at the Duke of Sutherland's with his presence; the Cambridge family and the Duke of Sussex and Dutchess of Inverness, and several distinguished personages without distinction of party, being invited to meet bins. He slept at Buckingham Palace. The King performed a good day's work on Tuesday. At ten he set out from Buckingham Palace for Somerset House, to visit the Royal,

Antiquarian, and Geological Societies. There was a good mustering of members in each ; and in each the King subscribed his name in the charter-book, and was admitted a Fellow. He then drove to the resi- dence of Mr. Solly, in Bedford Row, to view his pictures of the Raphael school. Thence he proceeded to the British Museum ; where he spent three hours; returning to Buckingham Palace. At about half-past two, the Duke of Sussex entertained the King at a grand de- jenner ; the "beauty and fashion of Kensington," a body of Grenadier Guards, the boys and girls of the National School, and the beadles being drawn up in -front of the Palace; while within, all the Royal Family, (except the Queen Dowager,) the Doke of Wellington, and a party, were assembled to receive the gueat. At eight o'clock he at- tended a sumptuous banquet given by the Duke of Wellington at Apsley House : the Duke of Sussex and the Dutchess of Inverness, the Cambridge family, the Dutchess of Gloucester, and many of the most distinguished persons, were present. In the evening; the Duke of Wel- lington gave a soiree, with music, for which two hundred and fifty cards of invitation were issued.

Betimes on Wednesday morning, no later than half-past eight o'clock, the Royal tourist set out on the expeditions of the day. By some mis- take the usual supply of Queen's carriages was not forthcoming ; but the King got into one with post-horses, which had brought part of his suite from Windsor to the King of Hanover's apartment, and his attendants procured hackney-carriages. Thus they went to Hungerford Stairs ; where they took water, and proceeded to the Thames Tunnel at Ro- therhithe. The King traversed the whole length of the Tunnel and back again ; examined every thing with his usual minuteness ; wrote his name—and so did Baron Von Humboldt—in the visiters' book ; and then returned by water to the Tower. His coming was unexpected; but the sentinel at the Queen's steps gave the alarm soon enough for a corporal with his small guard to turn out for the due reception of the invader. The King inspected the fortress and its stores, ruins and all ; asked "What anchor is that ?" when he saw a big anchor taken at the battle of Camperdown ; shook bands with Major Elrington, the Gover- nor, on reembarking ; and returned to the Palace as he came, except that three of the Queen's carriages made their tardy appearance at Hun- gerford. It was now half-past eleven. At twelve, the King filled up the time with receiving addresses from various public bodies, including King's College, the Society for Promoting Christiauity among the Jews, the Prussian subjects residing in England, and the Bible Society ; and giving audiences to the Foreign Ministers and several private persons. To the Society for Propagating Christianity among the Jews, the King said- " In what you have been pleased to say respecting my person, 1 can only acknowledge the effects of a very warm affection. I am conscious of having simply wished to make your nascent establishment on Mount Zion available for all Continental Protestant churches ; and 1 rejoice in the spirit and success of the efforts of the venerable prelates who are at the head of your Church in realizing my wish. I shall continue to look upon your Society as prominently instrumental in the execution of this plan. Accept my thanks for the valuable present you offer me. Finally, I thank you fur all your Christian aspirations; and 1 wish to ion, both as a body and individually, every prosperity and bless- ing from Almighty God." His own subjects hinted a sort of patting-on-the-back lecture on the expediency of a liberal policy in government ; saying that they would fain behold him "potent and willing to mature the capabilities of the various tribes swayed by his sceptre, and lead them onwards in a course of wise amelioration" It does not appear whether the King made any reply to this address. At two o'clock, he again took coach, and went to visit the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace ; closely inspect- ing all the edifice, and putting his autograph in one of Mrs. Howley's books. He left Buckingham Palace again at seven, and honoured with his presence a banquet given by the Duke of Cambridge at Cambridge House. The guests seem to have been chiefly of the Duke's own party in politics, Conservative. A few hours at Covent Garden finished the day. The King entered the house about ten o'cleck ; the performance began an hour later than usual, and the pantomime was disposed of before he came. He was received with the Prussian national anthem, "Der Landes Voter," adapted to English words, harmonized by Neu- komm, and sung by Adelaide Kemble, Madame Vestris, and the whole vocal force of the house ; the Prussian banner waving on the stage. The theatre was crowded, and the audience were "enthusiastic." "God save the Queen" came next ; and then the play—The Merry Wives of Windsor; which the King again followed in a book. He left the house at half-past twelve, at the conclusion of the third act.

After his return from the House of Lords on Thursday, the King gave audience to the Earl of Jersey ; received a visit from the Duke of Cambridge ; gave audience to a deputation of Dissenting ministers from the Tbree Denominations, who presented an address: and then he paid a round of ViSita to the Queen Dowager, the Earl and Countess of Jersey, the Dowager Dutchess of Richmond, the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge, and the Duke of Wellington. His Majesty joined the dinner circle at Buckingham Palace in the evening.

The King left our shores yesterday. He breakfasted with his hostess at Buckingham Palace ; the Dutchess of Kent joining the party. At half-past nine the Queen attended herguest to the grand entrance, accom- panied by the Dutchess of Kent ; and the King, with Prince Albert and ,Rrinoe Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, got into one of the Royal carriages and four. Prince Augustus and Prince Leopold followed in another carriage ; and several more conveyed the King's and Prince Albert's

• suites. Escorted by a party of Life Guards they drove to Woolwich ;

where there was a review, as a finale for the Guards, at parting. The town early presented an animated appearance. By half-past nine o'clock, a guard of honour of the Royal Artillery, the Royal Horse Artillery, three troops of the Thirteenth Light Dragoons, and some Life Guards and Foot Artillery, took their stations on the Upper Com- mon. On the ground were General Lord Bloomfield, General the Mar- quis of Londonderry, Lieutenant. Colonel Lord Cardigan, Field-Marshal the Duke of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge, and several Prus- sian officers, all in full uniform. After the King of Prussia and his party had arrived, the Duke of Wellington joined them. The King witnessed a variety of manceuvres, and inspected the munitions, and the arsenal and other works ; an immense crowd scrambling after his movements as they best could over hedge and ditch, to catch a glimpse of the German Monarch. At about three o'clock, the King embarked for the Continent in the Firebrand steamer, at the Arsenal Stairs, under 11 royal salute ; and Prince Albert and the Princes his relatives, with his suite and the escort, returned to Buckingham Palace. The King has been sitting to Mr. Benjamin Wyon for a medal to commemorate his visit to this country, and to Mr. George Hayter for a sketch of the Christening.

Before his departure from Windsor, his Majesty left 1001. for the, poor of the town.

The Queen has accepted a present for her infant son, offered by Mr. Thompson of Hampstead—a bedstead and bedroom furniture, which are said to have belonged to Cardinal Wolsey. The present is thus described- " So great is the value of the bedstead considered, that the son of the late Mr. Rothschild offered, but a short time since, 1,500/. for it ; which large sum was refused. It is of ebony of the closest grain, carved into figures and various devices at the head and foot with surpassing skilL To give relief to the masses of sombre ebony carving, tasteful friezes and scrolls are introduced of inlaid mother-o'-pearl and ivory; and this addition as it were lights up a dark and beautiful picture, and at the same time gives great finish and bril- liancy to it. The cornices and testers, both at the top and round the sides, are equally elaborately executed; and the hangings are of a rich purple satin damask. The celebrated chair of Cardinal Wolsey is included in this magni- ficent present, and is remarkable for the beautifully pencilled drawings upon the mother-o'-pearl, with which it is thickly adorned. Toilet-tables of the most unique character, antique presses, ancient cabinets, and easy sofas and ottomans, covered with silver brocade, add to the value of the present. and will decorate the apartment in which the bed is to be placed in the Royal Castle."

Great preparations are making at Brighton Pavilion to receive the Queen and Prince Albert on Tuesday next.