THE PEOPLE'S PALACE.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 147, 24 June 1887, Page 5

THE PEOPLE'S PALACE.

It is Wpened with Imposing Cere monies by the Queen.

London was ablaze with excitement on May 14th, the occasion being the visit of the Queen for the purpose of opening the People's Palace at Mile-end. The route selected for the royal progress extended from Paddington station, in the Western portion of London, to Mile-ond, the extreme eastern limit, adistanceof about eight miles. The buildingsalongtheentire way were gaily decorated, Irish colours and the stars and stripes being conspicuous in many places. The Lord Mayor and municipal officers of the city of London went in carriages from the Mansion House to the city's boundary line at Holborn and alighted and waited for the Queen, who was in an open carriage. On the Queen's approach the Lord Mayor received the pearl sword from the sword-bearer. His worship lowered the point and congratulated her Majesty on coming to her most loyal city. He thea presented the sword to the Queen. She took and returned it. The Lord Mayor and retinue then placed themselves immediately in advance of the Queen's carriage and escorted her across the city to the°eastern boundary at Oldgate, and there bade her farewell for a brief time and repaired to the Mansion House to await her Majesty's return. The Queen proceeded to the People's Palace and ascended a dais, where the Prince of Wale j , the Marquis of Lome, the Duke of Cambridge and the Archbishop of Canterbury were assembled, the choir singing the National Anthem. The Queen then received the gold key, Mme. Albani sang "Home, Sweet Home," and the Prince of Wales declared the People's Palace open. The announcement was greeted with a great nourish of trumpets, followed by the grand choir rendering "Old Hundred." Subsequently the Queen laid the first stone of the foundation of the technical schools attached to the People's Palace. The Archbishop of Canterbury prayed for and blessed the people and pronounced the Benediction. At the conclusion of the ceremonies the royal procession started on its return. By command of the Queen the longest route back was taken, the procession moving off into Burdett Road, going: thence along Commercial Road to Oldgate. The deviation was rendered to please the citizens, who requested it. Arriving again at the city limits the royal carriage was met by the Lord Mayor and the civic officers and escorted to the Mansion House, which the Queen entered in state for the first time in her life. The Lord Mayor, who wore his crimson and ermine robes, only assumed when the sovereign visits him, conducted the Queen to the tearoom. The weather was line all day. The Queen was accompanied by Prince Christian and Prince Henry of Battenburg and his wife, Princess Beatrice. The line of procession was guarded by 10,000 volunteers and 5,000 regular troops (selected with a view fo the brilliancy and the contrast of their different uniforms as additions to the pageant), and 1,000 policemen.