ambassadors: the splendid uniform of the German Jagers delighted the
populace. A deeper and subtler feeling was produced by the sight of one of
Napoleon's marshals, Soult, Wellington's great adversary, rearing his white
head in a coach the framework of which had belonged to the State carriage
of the Prince de Conde, and figured in the _beaux jours_ of Louis XVI.
The consciousness that this worthy foe had come to do honour to the young
Queen awoke a generous response from the crowd. Soult was cheered lustily
along the whole route, and in the Abbey itself, so that he returned to
France not only full of personal gratification at the welcome he had
received, but strongly convinced of the goodwill of John Bull to Frenchmen
in general. How the balls of destiny roll! Soult feted in London, Ney dead
by a traitor's death, filling his nameless grave in Pere la Chaise. The
procession, beginning with trumpeters and Life Guards, wound its way in
relays of foreign ambassadors, members of the royal family and their
suites--the Duchess of Kent first--the band of the Household Brigade, the
Queen's bargemaster and her forty-eight watermen--honorary servants for
many a day--twelve carriages with her Majesty's suite, a squadron of Life
Guards, equerries, gentlemen riders and military officials, the royal
huntsmen, yeomen-prickers, and foresters, six of her Majesty's horses, with
rich trappings, each horse led by two grooms; the Knight-Marshal,
marshalmen, Yeomen of the Guard, the State coach--drawn by eight
cream-coloured horses, attended by a Yeoman of the Guard at each wheel, and
two footmen at each door--the Gold Stick, Viscount Combermere, and the
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard, the Earl of Ilchester, riding on either
side. In the coach sat the Queen, the Mistress of the Robes (the Duchess of
Sutherland), the Master of the Horse (the Earl of Albemarle), and the
Captain-General of the Royal Archers (the Duke of Buccleugh). The whole was
wound up by a squadron of Life Guards. In this order of stately march,
under the June sky, emerging from the green avenues of the park, the
procession turned up Constitution Hill, traversed Piccadilly, St. James's