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10 March 1863 — Exeter House, Roehampton | |
Tuesday. 10th [March 1863]. I was called at 6 and we had breakfast at 7 and I, Mr Schreiber, Connie & Miss Kemble started at 7½ for Paddington Station to catch the 8.45 train to Windsor. The 1st person I met was Mrs Fred Marshall and she got into the same carriage with us. The train was very full and went very slowly taking 1hr 40mins. On arriving at Windsor we left Miss K at the station & went on to the St Georges chapel where the ceremony of the marriage of the Prince of Wales & Princess Alexandra of Danemark was to take place. We found the door had not yet opened but we had not to wait more than 10 minutes when a general rush took place. Dr Whewell & Lady Affleck were there and Whewell left Lady A. with us as he was anxious to join the procession. We were shown into the blocks allotted to us and Connie & I sat next to Mrs Hambro, Mr & Lady Augusta Sturt, Maria, Marss of Ailesbury, the Rothschilds, the Ashleys and not far off the beautiful Lady Constance Grosvenor. We waited for more than 2 hours amusing ourselves by making out all the people and the brides maids and people in Court dresses who went to take their seats in the chapel. At about ¼ 12 the curtain at the west door was drawn aside and the Princess Mary & the Dss of Cambridge passed thro’ with their suite. The band preceded them & accompanying them to the choir where they filed off on each side returning to the west door to wait for the next procession. Then came successively the Royal Guests, the Household, the bridegrooms & the brides processions– The Prince seemed quite calm & collected and very dignified– She before the ceremony appeared very nervous never once lifting her eyes from the ground. Her train was made of white moirè shot with gold and trimmed with magnificent Brussels lace. She also wore a wreath and a veil but not over her face– The service began by a chorale composed by Prince Consort and a Psalm was sung in the middle & at the end a Hallelujah chorus– We could only hear the music from where we were and that not very well. On leaving the chapel the Princess seemed much reassured and they both bowed graciously as they went up the nave. As soon as we were let out of the chapel we went back to the station to find Miss K—we found her in the waiting room having been there the whole time. We took her back to look at the chapel and to see the tempore rooms wh had been built up for the occasion & joined the West door of the chapel. There was the Brides room wh was hung with Brussels lace over pink silk & decorated with orange blossoms & white and gold furniture. There was the bridesmaids room done all in white & gold and a toilet table with a looking glass the frame of wh was covered with green flowers; there was the Princes room done with blue having P. of Wales feathers in gold & yellow satin furniture besides a good many other rooms– We went to the gates of the castle after having seen all this and stood to see the Prince & Princess of Wales drive to the station. Whilst waiting for them we amused ourselves by watching the Queen’s carriages going to & from the station taking away the visitors. The royal pair left the castle at 4. Princess Frederick Wm going with them to see them off. As soon as they had gone we made for the station, I, taking Miss K under my protection; however she managed to leave go of me & I soon lost sight of her. When we got to the station we found ourselves opposite to the carriage containing the Pce & Pss of Prussia & she bowed repeatedly to us. We found the station crammed full of people and after finding Miss K & waiting some little time we managed to find ourselves in the train & the carriage made for 8 was made to hold 12. We got to town at about 7 and going to the Gt Western Hotel we got some dinner. We then got a cab and intended to drive down 1 or 2 of the principal streets in order to see some illuminations on our way to Waterloo but the crush was so great that we could not manage to get across & only managed it at last by going across Portland Place & Tottenham Court Road and then caught the 11.40 train. We luckily got a fly at Putney and got home at about 1. Mr Schr & Connie stayed in town till the last train walking about to see the illuminations. | |
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