be Court.
The principal event in the proceedings of the Court this week has been the visit of the Queen Dowager and her sister, the Dutchess Ida of Saxe Weimar, at Windsor Castle. Her Majesty arrived there on Tuesday afternoon, and remained till Thursday. Two dinner-parties were given during the stay of the Queen Dowager at the Castle. The Queen has taken her accustomed drives in the Park every day, and on two occasions she was driven by Prince Albert in a pony phaeton. Prince Albert, on Tuesday, left the Castle to join the Duke of Cambridge on a shooting-excursion in Richmond Park. The Royal Duke returned to Windsor with the Prince, and remained there till Thursday. On Thursday, Prince Albert came to London by railway, for the first time, in consequence of an express having been sent to Windsor giving an alarming account of the state of the Princess Augusta ; and he returned to Windsor by railway the sanie afternoon. The Prince of Hohenlohe • Langenburgh who had been on a visit to the Queen, took his departure from the Castle on Saturday, and embarked on board a steam-packet at the Customhouse, for Antwerp : the Princess of Holienlohe continues at Windsor. Lords Palmerston and Melbourne have been constant guests at the Royal table during the week.
It is no longer concealed that the recovery of the Princess Augusta is nearly hopeless. Despatches were sent to Windsor on Thursday announcing the alarming state of her Royal Highness ; which brought Prince Albert to London, as stated above. The Queen Dowager came from Bushy Park yesterday to see the Princess ; who was also visited by the Duke of Cambridge, the Dutelless of Gloucester, and the Dutchess Ida of Saxe Weimar. The bulletin issued yesterday was to this effect- " There has been no improvement in the Princess Augusta's symptoms since yesterday, and her Royal Highness has passed another very disturbed night." 'File Windsor correspondent of the Morning Herald, who appears to pick up a great deal of gossip about the Court that is not allowed to transpire through the authorized channels of Court news, gives the fol- lowing account of an event which greatly agitated the whole circle- " Considerable consternation was created in the Court circle on the afternoon of Sunday last, immediately upon the return of her Majesty and Prince Albert to the Castle from attending the evening service at St. George's Chapel, in consequence of the splendid diamond pin, which was presented by her Majesty to his Royal Highness on the anniversary of his birthday, on Wednesday last, having been discovered by the Prince to be missing from his cravat, where it bad been placed by his Royal Highness a short time before he left for St. George's. Messengers, by the command of her Majesty, were immediately despatched to the Chapel to make the necessary inquiries after the host jewel, which was of the value of 100 guineas; but without success. The carriage in which her Majesty and the Prince rode back to the Castle was then visited by one of the Lords in Waiting at the Royal Mews in Sheet Street ; but with the like result. Later in the evening, however, the Prince, still feeling confident that the pin was previously in his cravat, several of the Castle domestics were commanded to proceed again to the Chapel with candles aud lanterns, there to renew their search. The Chapter-room, the Royal closet, and the passage through which her Majesty and her illustrious consort proceeded to the carriage on their return to the Castle, were most carefully examined ; but no discovery was made of the birthday present. On the return of the exploring party, their ill success was itninediately communicated to the Queen; who appeared to feel greatly annoyed amid disappointed. Early the next morning, soon after day- break, a third search was made, at the express command of her Majesty ; but the Queen, for the third time, was doomed to be disappointed. When the Queen and the Prince left the Chapel on Sunday afternoon, there was an im-
mense concourse of persons waiting at the door through which the Royal party passed to the carriages ; and it was feared that, in the pushing and crowding, and in the rush to catch a glimpse of the Queen, which then took place, the swell mob, who had speculated on a Sunday excursion to Windsor, might have got near enough to the Prince to have deprived him of the birthday gift of the Queen. Yesterday morning, however, soon after her Majesty had breakfasted,
I, Alm glad tidings were conveyed to the Queen that the lost jewel had been reco-
• Vered latipjagell. It was discovered on the floor of the painting-room, by amen
' in the uphofstiry department, named Martin. Upon its being brought to the Queen, lei Majesty—her eyes beaming with delight—p1aced it, with her own hands, in the bosom of the Prince. It appears that his Royal Highness, just previously to Itle.loavingthe Castle to proceed to St. Georges Chapel with her Majesty, .viskted-ilw painting-room for a few minutes; where it must have fallen from his criivat."
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