Queen Victoria's Visit to the Warden of Cinque Forts.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 14, 19 February 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

Queen Victoria's Visit to the Warden of Cinque Forts.

The Duk© of Wellington, as Warden of the Cinque Ports, long resided at \\ aimer Castle, Kent, where he passed peacefully in his armchair m th© September of 1852.

During the Duke's AVardenship Queen Vietor'a paid the grim old warrior a formal visit. On November 10, 1842. her Majesty left Winsor, and travelled by train to Paddington, but drove by road from Londan to the coast by the old Dover road, through Dartford. Rochester, and Canterbury. All along the route the youthful Sovereign was warmly received, the vi'nerable West Gate of Canterbury being transformed into a triumphal arch, while bowers of evergreens spanned the road in many villages. At Deal the 6turd,y local boatmen lined the road, and at Sandwich the Iron Duke came out to meet, his Sovereign. She offered lxiin a seat lieside him her In the carnage, which he declined, returning to Walmer Castle to bo ready to receive her and her Consort 011 arrival. It was wild November weather while the Queen and Prince Consort were the Duke's guests, and a hundred sail had crowded into the Downs for shelter. The French mail packet, unable to enter Dover Harbour, ran for the Downs and anchored there, while the mails were brought off by boatmen. The Queen was alarmed by the news that other boats going off to steamers had been capsized, but relieved to learn all hands were savcU. [t was during one of the walks of tlie Royal couple along the wind-swept shore that an old salt gravely stepped up to show his dog and consult the Prince Consort as to its race and value. Ho had rescued it, lie explained, from a wrecked Russian vessel, and had never seen any of the breed before. Ihe Prince enlightened him to the best of his ability, and was amu<sed and flattered bv his .supposed competence as a dog-fancier.