eaten Victariteriu Wit to Ring Kettpont.
Preparations for receiving Queen Victoria at Ostend began betimes. The London papers sent their reporters thither, and the first whose arrival we note is the reporter of the Morning Chronicle; who describes, among others, some preparations that appear strange to us in England- " In the course of the forenoon on Monday, the municipal bellman made proclamation that her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain was expected to do the good city of Ostend the honour of a visit on Wednesday afternoon; and at the same time enjoined the inhabitants to do honour to their illustrious visiter and themselves on the occasion, by setting their houses in order, and cleansing the streets ; which, sooth to say, on ordinary occasions stand particularly in need of cleansing. The hint was acted upon with an alacrity which did credit to all parties. All the washerwomen and scavengers were immediately up in arms ; pumps and mops were called into active service ; and in the course of a few hours, the whole face of the town, streets, conduits, houses, windows and all, was so clean, that we are sure it could not have recognized itself again. Many of the public buildings, indeed, went to the expense of being newly whitewashed or yellow-ochred ; among which must be especially mentioned the Maison de Ville, (Town-hall,) both because, in the words of the Guide- book, it is le seul edifice remarquable which the town contains, and because it is des- tined to honours which no public edifice in Belgium has ever yet enjoyed, in the presence of a reigning British Monarch—a dinner within its walls." The King's residence is to be devoted to the use of his visiters- " The Royal Palace, (I suppose I must so call it,) in the Rue Longue, I understand, will, with the gallantry always conspicuous in the character of King Leopold, be entirely appropriated to the use of Queen Victoria and her household. The palace consists of two ordinary-looking white-washed houses of five windows each in width, in a:very narrow street, without porte-cochire, or entrance-court, or any other line of demarcation to interrupt the curious gaze of the profanum uulgus. Two sentries of the line keep watch and ward before its two doors ; a tricolour flag floats over-head out of the first-floor window; and that is all the parade that marks the abode of the King of the Belgians at this watering-place. There is a comparative drawback necessarily attaching to an abode in a town like Ostend, built as it is upon an extended sand-bank, snatched and hugged away, as it were, float the grasp of the sea, by dikes and other ar- tificial defences : every inch of ground within these limits is occupied by build- ings, and except in the one Jardin Public '—an enclosure similar in shape to that of Burton Crescent, and about half as large, where some few stunted shrubs struggle through an amphibious existence— net a green leaf is to be seen for miles around.' "Hi, Majesty King Leopold and his Royal Consort having thus given up their accustomed abode for the accommodation of our most gracious Sovereign, have taken, temporarily, a house for themselves within a few doors in the same street ; and another nearly en face for the infant Princes, the Duke de Bra- bant and the Count de Flandres."
The King and Queen of the Belgians arrived by railroad from Brussels- about five o'clock on Monday afternoon, and proceeded, without any sort of parade, to their residence in the Rue Longue- " Nothing, in fact, can be more free from restraint and ceremony ti an the whole course of his Majesty's proceedings in this town; and yet, judging from the scene I witnessed this evening, he suffers nothing thereby in the respect and esteem of his subjects. I was walking along the port at about a quarter to seven o'clock, when I. perceived his Majesty with the Queen leaning on his arm, issuing on foot, through a covered way leading from the town to the esplanade by the sea-shore. At the distance I stood, I only recognized the actual rank of the illustrious promenaders by the fact of an officer of the Artillery, (his Ma- jesty's Aide-de-Camp,) and a single royal footman, in undress livery, and carrying an extra shawl in case the Queen should need it, following their Majesues. Close on the heels of the latter—indeed, sometimes even between them and their Majesties—came some dozen of idlers, many of them children, who seemed to enjoy themselves without restraint and perfectly at their ease, as if, in fact, forming part of one and the same family under a gracious parent. The whole width of this promenade is about twelve feet, and at the time of their Majesties' visit it was pretty, thickly crowded with pedestrians. Yet there was no scrambling or shuffling; no policemen in plain clothes to clear the way ; the way cleared itself, everybody walking on before or standing aside, as he listed, in order to allow their Majesties to pass. And as they passed, every one raised his hat or curtseyed ; and their Majesties returned these salutes with as much warmth and sincerity of manner, looking individually in the face of every one and smiling, as if in almost every one they had recognized a personal acquaint- ance. Among the loungers were several parties of private soldiers, who stood aside and saluted their Majesties a /a ; the King in return taking his hat off, and keeping it off till he had passed them all." The Victoria and Albert was expected to arrive at Ostend between three and four o'clock on Wednesday ; but it was descried in the distance at half-past one, bearing right down for the place; and it came to an anchor off the quay precisely at two o'clock ; "steering," said an old sailor, "right into the harbour as if she belonged to it." The King and Queen of the Belgians immediately went on board ; his Majesty affectionately embracing his niece, and cordial salutations being ex- changed on all sides. Both the Queen and Prince looked remarkably well after their voyage. The travellers were conducted to a pavilion on the quay. Among the distinguished persons who were in attend- ance on the King to receive the Queen of England, were General Goblet, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Count d'Aerschoot, Grand Marshal of the Palace; M. Conway, Intendant of the Civil List; the Burgomaster, M. Serruys ; the Consuls of Great Britain and the United States; the Sheriffs, (Echemins,) the Town-Council, several General and other officers of distinction, and a considerable number of elegantly dressed ladies. The royal personages entered a carriage, and the visiters were conveyed to their allotted residence; the people loudly greeting them
on the way. The unexpected despatch of the steamer had prevented the completion of some preparations-
" The troops which were to form the guard of honour at the place of her Majesty's landing, and along the line of her route to the Palace, had scarcely time to take up their position when the yacht was safely moored alongside the quay. The carpet upon which her Majesty was to walk from the place of her (wiling to the royal pavilion, and thence to the royal carriage, was yet being ,nailed down, when her royal presence upon it sent the carpenters and tapis- viers to the right-about ; and a couple of honest Belgians, who were most bravely in the set of nailing the royal standard of England and the Belgian colours to the pavilion itself, with great propriety desisted from that noisy pro- cess, and, hiding their diminished heads' behind the bulkhead supporting the initial and shield of King Leopold, managed to support the royal ensigns with their hands, whilst the interesting ceremony of the Queen's welcome was tak- ing place beneath them. Further on, the triumphal arch, which stood across the entrance of the first street from the port, and which was, doubtless, in- tended to turn out a very splendid affair, was yet undergoing the process of painting when ber Majesty passed through it." The Queen and Prince having borne the voyage so well, it was de- termined that a banquet in the Hotel de Ville, fixed for that evening, should proceed; the King using that building for want of room in his own residence. The men who were finishing the decorations of the temporary portico had scarcely time to take their ladders away, when, a few minutes before eight o'clock, the roll of drums and a flourish of trumpets announced the approach of the party. The King and Queen of the Belgians, Queen Victoria, and Prince Albert, arrived in the first carriage, which was drawn by two handsome grays. The suite followed in four other carriages. The hotel was entered from the Place d'Armes by a hall, opening to the grand staircase- " The hall and staircase were decorated with flowers, shrubs, and exotics, among which were some fine orange and lemon trees, in a very elegant manner. The staircase was carpeted, but the r000m in which the dinner took place was without any carpet. It was lighted by three chandeliers of or-mob, with oil burnera, and with numerous branches of wax candles at the sides and at either end. The table was laid for thirty-two persons. The service was of silver, rich, but without ostentation; the plates for the dessert being very splendid porcelain, ornamented with figures of rare birds and flowers. The whole was brilliant and in good taste. King Leopold sat in the middle seat opposite the windows ; on his right hand was Queen Victoria, next to her the Queen of the Belgians, and next to her Prince Albert; on the left band of King Leopold was a lady who we believe was the Countess d'Aerschot, and next to her Lord Liverpool. The rest of the company were arranged according to their ranks. King Leopold was dressed in plain clothes, but wore the riband of the Garter, as did Lord Aberdeen. Prince Albert iwas in plain clothes, and wore the riband and cross of the Bath. Several others of the company wore ribands ; and most of them were in splendid uniforms, decorated with stars and orders. Queen Victoria, who looked remarkably well, was dressed in a white lace and muslin dress. She wore her hair in bands, ornamented with flowers and bound with a ferronier of brilliants. Her Majesty had on a brilliant necklace, and across her shoulder the blue riband of the Garter. The Queen of the Belgians was in a pale blue silk dress, with a stomacher of brilliants, and had on her head a dress-bonnet of white lace with feathers. The appearance of the whole party, from the brilliancy of uniforms and stars, was magnificent."
In the mean time, the town was illuminated-
" Whilst yet the Royal party were entering the hall, the illuminations which had been erected in the front of the building were in process of lighting ; and the whole scene, the bustle and noise below, the glare of light above, had a most striking effect. These illuminations consisted of pyramids of wood sup- porting transparent lamps at each window, (eighteen in number,) and similar pyramids supported on poles, and lighted with grease-pots, a few put in ad- vance. The whole of the outline of the building, moreover, to the top of the roof, was marked out with the latter style of illumination. The illumination throughout the town was a very general one ; and, particularly in the square and wide streets, was of an imposing character. The British Consul, as might be expected, eclipsed all others in the extent and elegance of the design ; ex- hibiting the words 'Victoria' and Albert,' in large and handsome coloured lamps, on either side of a transparency of the royal arms."
After the banquet, about ten o'clock, the party returned to their re- sidences.
On Thursday morning, Prince Albert took the King to visit the royal yacht. By some awkward steering, the Belgian boat in which they were ran foul of another vessel ; bat no injury was done. The King and Prince then reviewed some Light Artillery and Infantry at a sta- tion to the east of the town. During the day, the Prince and Princess Hohenlohe arrived. The Princess would have knelt to Queen Vic- toria; but her Majesty prevented her with an embrace. There was another banquet in the Hotel de Vile ; and after that the party went to the opera.
This is the understood arrangement of the Royal strangers' time,— passing each night at Ostend : on Friday, to visit Bruges ; on Saturday, Ghent ; on Sunday, to remain at Ostend ; on Monday, to visit Brussels ; on Tuesday, Antwerp ; on Wednesday, to depart for England.
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