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21 January 1886 — 1 Queen Anne Street | |
Thursday. 21st [January 1886]. About 10 o’cl I received a note from Miss Hammond offering me her ticket to see the opening of Parliament wh I gladly accepted. There had been snow in the night & it was too cold for old Lord Hammond to go & he kindly offered me his place. I at once went & arranged with Blanche to go with her. I went to see Mama at Langham House & then hurried back & was hardly dressed in a low gown with diamonds & feathers before Blanche called for me at ¼ 12. We drove straight to the Speakers & went up to their drawing room in order to go to the House of Lords with Mrs & Miss Peel as they were not quite ready B. & I went on before them to secure seats. We had to go up in to the gallery & got places near the end towards the reporters gallery & had a very good coup d’oeil. We had nearly 2 hours to wait as we were very early & the Queen did not arrive until nearly ½ past 2 but we amused ourselves very well. Mrs Peel & I sat together & Blanche took charge of Miss Peel. It was a splendid sight– All the ladies in full dress & the peers in their scarlet & ermine robes & it was amusing watching them coming in & taking their places. Suddenly when the House was crammed a trumpet sound was heard & the ladies all threw off their wraps & cloaks & everyone stood up & in a few minutes in came 4 heralds & the procession with Her Majesty. She took her place on the throne & behind her chair stood Pss Beatrice—on the steps the Lord High Chamberlain, Lord Salisbury, & the Lord Chancellor who read the speech. As soon as the Queen was seated a message was sent for the Commons & soon a noise & rush of feet was heard & in second the Speaker in robes was heralded in by the rush of members all trying to get in in a very unseemly manner & there was but a small space. After some order had been restored [&] the speech was made the Speaker tried to retire backwards bowing 3 times & the Queen left as she came. She looked very pleasant & happy & all went off well. B & I returned with the Peels to their house, meeting a good many peers in the corridors that we knew. Mrs Peel kindly gave us tea of which I was glad for it was 3.30 & I had breakfasted at 9. We drove straight home & had a quiet evening. | |
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