Sir Robert Peel met her majesty at Buckingham Palace, and gave such a satisfactory report of public affairs that the royal travellers set out on their German tour with nothing to mar their pleasure.
They arrived at Antwerp on the tenth of August, and found the city illuminated in their honor. They were received by a guard of soldiers, and proceeded to Malines, where they were welcomed by King Leopold and his queen. They then proceeded to the Prussian frontier, where they were met by the English ambassador, the King of Prussia with several members of his family, many gentlemen in uniform, and a numerous escort. They were magnificently entertained, and shown all the sights of Cologne and other cities.
At Bonn a Beethoven festival was given, and afterwards all the professors of the university where Prince Albert had been educated were presented to her majesty. We need not follow the royal couple through all their travels, but will quote the queen's account of their arrival at Coburg, Prince Albert's birthplace.
"I began," says the queen, "to feel greatly moved,—agitated, indeed, in coming near the Coburg frontier. At length we saw flags and people drawn up in lines, and in a few moments more we were welcomed by Ernest in full uniform. We got into an open carriage of Ernest's, with six horses,—Ernest sitting opposite to us. The good people were all dressed in their best,—the women in pointed caps, with many petticoats, and the men in leather breeches. Many girls were there with wreaths of flowers. We came to a triumphal arch, where we were received by the land-director, who said a few kind words of welcome, to which I replied,—all those who accompanied him standing on either side, and the good people receiving us in such a warm, hearty, and really friendly way. We then drove to Ketschendorff, the pretty little house of our dear late grandmother, where we found uncle Leopold and Louise, who got into the carriage with us. Ernest mounted a horse and rode next to the carriage on my side, Alvensleben on the other. Then the procession was formed, which looked extremely pretty. At the entrance to the town we came to another triumphal arch, where the burgomaster addressed us. On the other side stood a number of girls, dressed in
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white, with green wreaths and scarfs, who presented us with bouquets and verses. I cannot say how much I felt moved on entering the dear old place, and with difficulty I restrained my emotion. The beautifully ornamented town, all bright with wreaths and flowers, the numbers of good affectionate people, the many recollections connected with the place,—all was so affecting.
"The palace was soon reached, and as the royal cortège approached it numbers of young girls, dressed like the others, threw wreaths into the carriage. The staircase was full of relations. It was an affecting, but exquisite moment, which I shall never forget."