wcrc r our carrisgc (üc othcr childrcn a¡d Vivi did

'rr go). Vicky was d¡cascd in lacc ovcr whitc sati¡. with
mr¡ wrcaü of pink wild roscs in bcr bai¡. ard lookcd vcry
. ¡l:a Bcrtic was in full HighJald drcss Tbc Grccn Pa¡k and
THE GREAT [ydc Park wcrc onc mt$ of dcnscly crowdcd hurnan bcings'
EXHIBITION OF íü. higbcst good humour and mct cnthusiasúc' I ncvcr
rr Hydl Park look a¡ it did, bcing fllcd with crowds a¡
fu u th" cyc could rcacb- A littlc ra-in fcll.
just 8s wc started'
lr, l85l
iUt U.fo." wc nca¡ed thc Crystal Pa-lacc' üc sun
shonc and
fumed upon thc gigantic cdi6cc' upon which üe flag: ol
got
ncry *tióo wcrc flying' Wc drovc up Rottcn Row and
u áf our carriagcs at lhc ent¡&ncc 6¡ that sidc' Thc Slimpse'
fuough thc iron gatcs of üc Transcpl thc waving palms
¡¡d d'owcrs, Oc mfia¿s of peoplc ñlling the gallcrics and
Prince Albcrt's TriumPh Et! rround. toSethcr with tle flourish of trumpcts 8s wo
cotarcd thc building. gavc a scnsaüon I shnll ncvcr
forgct'
for into a üttlc
QUEEN VICTORIA nd I fclt much movcd. Wc wcnt a momcnt
' ¡mm whcre wc lcft our cloekq and found Mama and Mary'
[rnou hcr Joumal] r 0¡sidc EI tbe Pri¡ccs wcrc st8¡din8. In a fcw scconds wc
at bjs h¡nd and
'f': Fecdcd, Albcrt lcading mc. baving Vicky
ilcrtic holding mine. Thc sight as wc camc to thc
ccnt¡c
I üd not sit) was placcd'
May I ltSllJ. This day is onc of the grcatcst and *crt U" stcis anO chair (on wh.icb
glorious days of our livcs' wiü which to my pridc and i iring the üuüful crystal fountain was magic and imprcssi^ve
facc' the
the nnmc of my dcarly bclovcd Albcrt is for evcr Ihc úcmcndous cbccring, the joy cxprcsscd in cvcry
with all its decoration and cxbibits'
It is a day whicb m¡kcs my heart swcll wiü thankfulnc¡l Bncss of the building'
600 voiccs'
Wc bcgan thc day with tcndcrcst g¡cctings and congratulrtl¡t¡ úc ¡ound of the organ (with 200 i¡strumcnts and
on t¡JUirtl of our dea¡ litüe Arthur. Hc was brought in rr riicü sccmcd ¡sthing) and my bcloved husband' thc crcator
brcalCsst aod lookcd beauüful wiü bluc ribbon on his frocL C ,nit po* fcsüvJ 'uniting thc industry and art of all
a day
M¡m¡ a¡d Victor Y/crc ücrq as wcll as atl thc child¡t¡ nt¡oo¡ of üc earth,' all thiq was indccd moving, and
my de¿rcst Albert' and my dcar
a¡d our dcar gucsts. Our üttle gifu of toys wcrc addcd. b livc for svcr. Cod bless
Guntry, which bas showu itsclf so Sreat to-day' Onc
fclt so
bv oncs from thc Pcc and Pccss [of Prussia].
to- pervadc
Thc Park prcscntcd ¡ wondcrful spcctacle' crowd¡ strc¡o' cfi to tbc Sreat God. whosc blessing sccmcd
wbolc u¡dciaking. Aftcr the National Anthcm bad
bcc¡
ing through i¡---orriages and troops PEssi¡& quitc likc tb
Coronaüon, and for m¿, tbc samc anxicty. Thc day *rr eng Albcrt tcft my sidc and at thc head of the Commis-

bright a-nd all busüe a¡d cxcitcmcnl At ] p. I I thc wbolc
p.olcs.ioo i¡ 9 Statc carriagcs was sct in moüon- V¡c¡ry !!d
From ffr¿ Gnat Exhtbitton ol 1651. eloptlcd by C lL G¡bbo--Soül
O-oodo¡: t950I Pa86 l6lE'
*ro*,* curious asscmblage of political and difinguisbed
lneo-read thc Rcport to mc, which is a long one' and
1l-¿ ¡hort answcr. Aftc¡ this the Arcbbishop of Cantcrburi
" up a sbort and appropriatc prEycr. followcd by tht

singing of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, during wbicb tic'

ti¡c Chincsc Mandarin came forward and made his obcisa¡ca Scymour spokc to mc with such pridc and joy a

This concluded, thc Proccssion of great lengü begnn, wh-kii
was bcautifully arranged, the prcscribcd order being cxsclitj
adhercd to. Tbc Nave was full of pcoplc, wbich had not bcrtr
i¡tended, and deafening cbecrs and waving of ha¡dkc¡chid¡i
continued üc wbolc time of our lons walk from one end o(i
the building to thc other- Every facc was bright and smilingl
and many bad tears in ücir eyes. Many Frenchmen callcd
out 'Vive la Rcine.' One could, of coursc, scc nothing hi
wbat was h.igh up in the Nrve, and nothing in thc
The organs were but little he¿rd, but üe Military Baad
one end had a very fine effect playing thc march troui
Athalie as wc passed along. Tbe old Duke of Wellingron
Ld. Anglesey walked arm i¡ arm, which was a touchinS
I saw many acquainhnces amongl thosc present. We rcrumed
io uur placc and Alben aold t¡t. Breadalbanc io dcciarc fu
Ex,ribiúon to be open.d, which he did in a loud voicc sayd
'Her Majesty commands me to declare üis Exhibition
when therc was a flourish of trumpets, followed by
chccrins. We then madc our bow and left.
All thesc C-ommissioners and the Executive Commi[.!'
ctc- who had worked so bard and to whom such immc¡-::
praise is due, seemed truly happy, and no one morc so lhrn '
Paxton, who may feel justJy proud. He rose from an ordinary
gardener's boyl Everyone was a.lounded and delightcd. Thc
return was equally satisfactory, tle crowd most enthusia$q
and perfect order kept. We rcached the Palace at 20rL
past I and went out on the balcony, being loudly checreú
The Pcc and Pcess [of Prussia] werc quite delightcd and
impressed. That w¿ felt happy and thankful, I need not say,
proud of all that had passed and of my beloved's succtss'
I was more impressed by thc sccne I had witncssed lha¡
words can say. Dearest Albert's namc is for ever immortalisc4
and ¡he absurd reports of dangers of every kind and sort
put out by a set of pcople-thc 'soidisant' fashionables a¡d
yiole,nf ücretorc
bdovcd onc's succcss and vi¡dicaüon after so much oppos
such diffculües, which no onc but hc wiü his ¡
, paticncc ñrmncss and encrgy could havc achic
Wiüout thesc qualitics, his hiCh posiüon alonc could
hvc carricd him ¡fi¡eugh. Saw later in thc evening r
$och&r aftc¡ baving had a littlc walh and he.rejoiccc
¡¡d wiü me. Tbere was but one voicc of alonishment
¡dmi¡ation. T\c Globe had a beautiful articlc which tou,
Ec vcry mucb-I forgot to mcntion that I wore a dres
and silvcr, wiü a dia¡nond ray diadem and little c¡
ü tle back witb 2 fcatben, all the rcst of my jewels b
diamonds. The Pccss [of Prussia] looked very handsome
so kind and 'her¿licb.' An interesting cpisode of the
ras thc visit of the good old Duke, on his 82nd birtl:
bis littlc godsoo, our dea¡ iiiue boy. He cams to us
igrve littJe Arthur a gold c.rp an,.l ic'ys, which he tra.l clr
opco,' himsdf. Arthur gave him I nosegay. We all di¡cd 'en Fam
imm6¡¡3 üc children stai¡g up a little longer, and then wen
&vcot Garden opcra, wherc we saw the 2 finest acts of
Huguenors-g)ven as beautifully as last year. Was ra
',ü¡cd, but wc wcrc bot! too bappy and full of thankful
for cvcrything