MILITARY AND CIVIL. 81 
     
    
   
   
    
     then set forth, preceeded, by trumpeters and a detachment of 
     
     Life Guards. Then came the foreign ministers and ambassa- 
     
     dors, followed by the carriages of the Royal Family, the State 
     
     Coach, drawn by eight cream-colored horses, conveying the 
     
     Queen and the Mistress of the Robes and Master of the 
     
     Horse. All the royal personages were loudly cheered, but 
     
     when the State Carriage bearing the young Sovereign came in 
     
     view the enthusiasm was something tremendous. Her Majesty 
     
     appeared in excellent spirits, and highly delighted with the 
     
     imposing scene. The troops saluted in succession as she 
     
     passed, and remained with presented arms, until the Royal 
     
     Carriage had passed the front of each battalion, the bands 
     
     continuing to play the National Anthem. 
     
    
   
   
    
     “Westminster Abbey was reached at half-past eleven. On 
     
     each side the nave, galleries were erected for the spectators, with 
     
     accommodation for a thousand persons. Under the central tower 
     
     of the Abbey, in the interior of the choir, a platform was raised, 
     
     covered with a carpet of cloth of gold, and upon it the chair of 
     
     homage, superbly gilt, was placed, facing the altar. Further on 
     
     within the chancel, and near the altar, was Edward the Con- 
     
     fessor’s chair. The altar was covered with massive gold plate. 
     
     Galleries were provided for members of the House of 
     
     Commons, foreign ambassadors, and other persons of dis- 
     
     tinction. Shortly before noon the grand procession began to 
     
     enter the choir. It was headed by the prebendaries and Dean 
     
     of Westminster, followed by the great officers of Her Majesty’s 
     
     household. After these came the Queen in her royal robe of 
     
     crimson velvet, furred with ermine and bordered with gold 
     
     lace, wearing the collars of her Orders, with a circlet of gold 
     
     upon her head. On one side of her was the Bishop of Bath 
     
     and Wells, with the Bishop of Durham on the other. 
     
    
   
   
    
     “The Queen was received with hearty plaudits as she advanced 
     
     slowly towards the centre of the choir; the anthem, “I was 
     
     glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the 
     
     Lord, ” being meanwhile sung by the musicians. Then, with 
     
     thrilling effect and full trumpet accompaniment “God save the 
     
     Queen ” was rendered. The booming of the guns outside was 
     
     deadened by the tumultuous acclamations of those within the 
     
     Abbey, which did-not close until the beloved object of this 
     
     enthusiastic homage reached the recognition-chair on the 
     
    

    
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