Imperial Institute

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 138, 11 May 1893, Page 2

Imperial Institute

» GRAND OPENING CEREMONY. LPEB PBESS ASSOCIATION.] London, May 10. The Imperial Institute opened to-day. The weather was glorious, and enormoii3 crowds lined the entire route from the Palace to the Institute, which was guarded by military. Fifty thousand people assembled withm the building and precincts. All the leading Australians were present. The spectacle was a magnificent one and the members of the Colonial artillery teams, who were acting as escort to Her Majesty, were loudly cheered. The Royal Princes had a separate escort for their procession from their residences to the dins, and the civic dignitaries of the chief cities and the judges marched in procession. Excellent Arrangements were made. The services of five thousand police consiables were engaged in regulating the locomotion in the streets. There were two hundred thousand persons in tho procession. Immense enthusiasm was shown, and the Queen, Prince of Wales, Duke of York, Princess May, Marquiss of Salisbury, Lord Roberts and the Hon A. J. Balfour all met with great receptions. Over thirty royalties were present. The spectacle in the great hall of the building was a magnificent one. The Prince of Wales, as President of the Institute, received the various processions. Her Majesty was at the head of the civic officers' procession, All British royalties we.re present at the ceremony. Four Indian Princes were present attired in striking costumes. A large assemblage of ladies dressed in the height of fashion were at the front. Foreign ambassadors, Ministers of State, Colonial Agents- General were present in numbers. The Lord Chief Justice of England beaded the judges' procession. There was immense enthusi nsm displayed by the crowds. Madame Jacobsen and Madame Albain sang tho anthem, and the Archbishop of Canterbury pronounced the benediction.