hand, he pressed my hand and I grasped his
with all my heart, at which he looked up with his eyes filled with
tears and seemed much touched, as he was, I observed, throughout the
whole ceremony. After the Homage was concluded I left the Throne, took
off my Crown and received the Sacrament; I then put on my Crown again,
and re-ascended the Throne, leaning on Lord Melbourne's arm. At the
commencement of the Anthem I descended from the Throne, and went into
St Edward's Chapel with my Ladies, Train-bearers, and Lord Willoughby,
where I took off the Dalmatic robe, supertunica, etc., and put on the
Purple Velvet Kirtle and Mantle, and proceeded again to the Throne,
which I ascended leaning on Lord Melbourne's hand.

There was another most dear Being present at this ceremony, in the
box immediately above the royal box, and who witnessed all; it was my
dearly beloved angelic Lehzen, whose eyes I caught when on the Throne,
and we exchanged smiles. She and Spaeth, Lady John Russell, and Mr.
Murray saw me leave the Palace, arrive at the Abbey, leave the Abbey
and again return to the Palace!!

[Pageheading: POPULAR ENTHUSIASM]

I then again descended from the Throne, and repaired with all the
Peers bearing the Regalia, my Ladies and Train-bearers, to St Edward's
Chapel, as it is called; but which, as Lord Melbourne said, was
more _un_like a Chapel than anything he had ever seen; for what was
_called_ an _Altar_ was covered with sandwiches, bottles of wine,
etc., etc. The Archbishop came in and _ought_ to have delivered
the Orb to me, but I had already got it, and he (as usual) was _so_
confused and puzzled and knew nothing, and--went away. Here we waited
some minutes. Lord Melbourne took a glass of wine, for he seemed
completely tired. The Procession being formed, I replaced my Crown
(which I had taken off for a few minutes), took the Orb in my left
hand and the Sceptre in my right, and thus _loaded_, proceeded through
the Abbey--which resounded with cheers, to the first robing-room;
where I found the Duchess of Gloucester, Mamma, and the Duchess of
Cambridge with their Ladies. And here we waited for at least an hour,
with _all_ my ladies and train-bearers; the Princesses went away about
half an hour before I did. The Archbishop had (most awkwardly) put
the ring on the wrong finger, and the consequence was that I had the
greatest difficulty to take it off again, which I at last did with
great pain. Lady Fanny, Lady Wilhelmina,