A COLONIAL LADY'S VISIT TO WINDSOR CASTLE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3868, 10 December 1883, Page 4

A COLONIAL LADY'S VISIT TO WINDSOR CASTLE.

"Recently," writes a Colonial lady at present on a visit lo the Homo country to a friend in Otago, "I ivent to flee tho private, as well as tho State, apartments in AVindsor Castle. 1 was charmed with all I saw. Tho state apartments consist of ten rooms. The finest, to my mind, are tho grand reception room, tho Vandycko, and tho AValorloo gallery. Numerous paintings by various artists cover the walls. I feel that I can give but a poor idea of the general magnificence. I saw tho crimson,

green, and white drawing-room. In the latter was it massive silver gilt punch-bowl and ladle, ivhich was made for George tho Fourth, and cot.t 10,000 guiuwis. Then thero was the oak room, in which her Majesty dines u-very day when at "Windsor. Unfortunately she was away at Balmoral,

so I did not sco hor, nor any of tho Royal family. I saw a lovely painted screen, the work'of the Princess Louise. There is a beautiful suite of rooms for the Princess of "Wales when visiting- "Windsor. "The Queen's private chapel is a beautiful littlo place. AYe were conducted through two very long corridors filled with pictures. Here, also, wero cabinets containing most cxcpiisitc Sevres china, the greater part of which had been collected by George the Fourth I noticed on a landing a tine marble statue of the Queen and Prmcc Consort, with the words < Allured to brighter worlds and led the way,' on the pedestal below. Also, an cxcpiisitc statue of Penelope. I wont to St. George's Chapel last Sunday. It is a magnificent building. The service was grand, and I have never heard anythimr to equal tho voices of the boys. At this Chapel all the Royal weddings take place. Eton College is an enormous building, with a large bronze statue of Henry the Sixth iv the quadrangle, lou know', he was the founder of the college. I havo been over the Queen's mews. It was indeed a sight to sec the fine horses, about sixty in all. They seemed well kept, and each had its name painted above its box. Then to tho riding school and the carriages, which were very "grand. AVolsoy Chapel, (or, as it is now called, Albert Chapel, having been restored by the Queen in memory of tho Prince) has a vaulted roof, and is covered with the celebrated Venetian enamel mosaics. In tho nave angels are represented bearinar shields and devices relating to tho heraldry of the Prince Consort : in the chancel angels with shields symbolical of the passion of our Saviour. The stainedglass windows arc beautiful, representing ancestral royalty. "The walls under the windows arc entirely inlaid with marblework, consisting of a series of s -riptural subjects, tho figures inlaid with different-coloured marbles. Above each of these marble pictures is placed a white marble bas-relief of a member of the Royal family, and below is a dark-green marblo wall bench. In the construction of tho flooring numerous varieties of marble havo been used, and arranged with artistic effect. I am told that 'taking into consideration the comparative suiallness of the chapel, it is said to have one of the most splendid interiors in the world : but unless one saw it, it is impossible to realise Ihe beauty of its magnificent decorations, for it seems to produce an effect that baffles description. The altar tomb, which stood ou the marblo floor, seemed to attract most attention. Its base is of black-and-gold Tuscan marble ;_ at each angle is the figure of an angel bearing a shield—those on right and left bearing the arms of the Queen and Consort. Around tho tomb arc placed, in niches, statuettes representing on one side Charity, Piety, and Hope, and on the other Justice, Honour, and Truth. Thoso of Piety and Honour boar shields on which is written — ' I havo fought the good fight, I have finished my course." At one end is a very mournful statue of the Queen, and at the other end one of Science, weeping. Upon tho top of Uio cenotaph lies the recumbent figure, of flic Prince, clad in tho armour of a knight of the Middle Ages, with a mantle of the Order of tho Garter. The steel coat-of-mail forming part of the panoply occupied six months in completion. Tho head rests on a pillow supported by two angels, and at his feet lies a model of his favourite dog Eos. As a work of _ art I have never seen anything more beautiful."