INAUGURATION OF THE PRINCE CONSORT'S MEMORIAL.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 88, 8 September 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

INAUGURATION OF THE PRINCE CONSORT'S MEMORIAL.

! The ceremony of unveiling the IVI emorial statue of the Exhibition of 185 1, took place in they HprticuUaral Society's Gardens, adjoining the Exhibition buildingv The 1 scene was a very brilliant one. The whole of the Royal family now in England (with- - I'the exception of; her .Majesty, who inspected the, Memorial, on the previous day); were present j. and there were upwards of 20,000 spectators. j ; • Precisely at with characteristic punctuality, the Hoyal. carriages drove up to the/entrance. .The rattle of arms was heard as the guard of honor of the Grena* diers saluted, the band struck up the National Anthem, and a loud cheer greeted the entrance of the august party. The Prince of Wales was in the uniform of a General Officer. The Princess, radient and smiling as usual, was dressed in a pale masve silk, with a rich lace mantle* The Princesses Helena and Louise were similiarty attired. Prince Alfred presented a manly figure in the most elegant of all uniforms — that of the Navy ; and the two younger Princes, Arthur and Leopold, wore kilts of Royal Stuart tartan. The Executive branch of the Memorial Committee 'and a deputation of the members of the Royal Society having been presented by the Duke of Buccleugh to the Prince of Wales, the procession was immediately formed, and proceeded to their appointed place in a balcony half way down the nave, when the Duke of Buccleugh, at the head of the Council of the Horticultural Society, approached the Prince of Wales and presented an address, which, like reports at railway meetings, was " taken as read." It contained congrafcu- [ lations to his Royal Highness on his marri- ■ age, an expression of profound grief at the loss which the Society had sustained in ; the death of the Prince Consort, and assui ranees of gratitude for the interest which her Majesty and the other members of the [. Royal Family had manifested in the insti- ; institution. The Prince returned a suit- | able reply to the address, and then ordered i the memorial to be uncovered, which was !• done. The company then joined in pro- j f. cession, and walked round the gardens, j j from different points of which excellent j , views of the Memorial were obtained. The form of the Memorial is that of a temple, with projecting bases at four equal |dis(ance?, of sufficient size to carry seated i figures "Of eight feet high. The entire; height of tfle Memorial, exclusive of the underwork with arches, is forty-two feet ; the width across the angles of the granite, eighteen feet. The four seated bronze statues represent the quarters of the world : in an allegorical manner, but divested of ; the old conventional type. ! Beneatfo, and in front of each statue j there is a bronze medallion inserted in the j granite base, the fotir medallions being [ enlarged copies form the prize medals awarded to successful exhibifcois of ISSL. Behind each of these statues arise two pilasters and two pillars of the Corinthian order. Upon four panels there are inscribed in gilded incised lettering the principal flaatur.es and facts relating to the first International Exhibition, including a record of all those who were actually engaged m any responsible position con nected with the management of that national event, commencing with the Royal President of the Comnrissiott, the late Pwnce, whose statue in bronze surmounts the Memorial. It is ten feet faigh, and in the mantle and with tke insignia of the Master of the Order of the Bath— the Queen, as Sovereig-n, being head of every other illustrious order. The statue of the Queen, as personifying "Peace," was intended originally to have been the crowning figure, bur hns been exchanged for that of the Prince by the express desire of Her Majesty. The frieze of the Temple bears upon it, in gilded lettering, two inscriptions — one from Isaiah, " Let all the nations be gathered together-, and let the people be assembled ;" the other is from the Psalms, " I will remember the works of the Lord ; surely I will remember Thy wonders of old." On the north tablet is the dedication of the Memorial itself, as follows :— Erected By public Subscription* Originally intended only to commemorate The International Exhibition GflSSl, Now Dedicated also to the Memory of The great Author of that Undertaking, The good Prince, To whose far-seeing and comprehensive Philanthropy It first Conception was due ; And to whose eleaar Judgment and untiring Exertions In directing its Execution The World is indebted for Its unprecedented Success. AtBEET FsAscrs Augustus CixablbsEmajtuei., The Prince Consort, Born August 2G, ISI9. Died December 14, 1561. " Ho was a man ! take him for all in all, . "We shall not look upon his like again." Within a few minutes after the statue had been uncovered, the Royal parly prepared to quit their balcony and cross the garden to whersa better view of the statue could be gained. Slowly the long procession filed into the garden, each of its many celebrities attracting more or less of notice and applause. Lord Palmerston receiving more than any, till at last the Prince and Princess, followed by the members of the Royal familj , came forth, and were welcomed less by cheering than by the most deep and profound reverences. It took some time for the Prince and Princess to acknowledge these as they proceeded, bowing* with kindly grace aud courtesy from side to side, and stopping now and then to gain a fresh view of the Memorial. After passing the statue the procession wound round to the east side of the gardens, the Royal party everywhere receiving the the same tokens of affectionate respect, till the door of exit into Exhibition-road was reached, where, amid the most enthusiastic cheering, they quited the gardens. The departure of the Koyal party deprived the scene of its chief attraction. At the same time the sky became once more ;pvercast, and a heavy shower seemed to be jimpehding. This led to a hasty dispersion !°f • the great body of the visitors. There' was instantly an eager demand for jcabs and carriages, and before long the gardens f (Were left to a few lingering promenaders. J