From the Honourable Horatio-Charlotte Stopford, Lady-in-Waiting, Buckingham Palace
We were up earlier than usual this morning; everything has been made ready. I have not seen Her Majesty thus far, but have had all the fires lit. Terrible bleak day outside, makes you wish they would postpone it but of course they cannot. I hope they have dressed her very warmly. I should not like to go out in that, it is like a sheet of black glass out there. Strangely quiet too. I’m certain there must be many hundreds of people beyond but you cannot quite see them from the windows, the weather being so dreadful.
The Music Room has been readied, as per tradition, for a Member of Parliament to be kept in general hostage until the monarch’s safe return (we call it that, for the gentleman is treated very nicely, and we all cannot help but smile at the poor fellow being kept under guard). It is merely custom.
Such a queer feeling I have today.
I have found a great amount of glass and pottery upon the floor. I’ve been very cross and have had it disposed of. But everywhere things are out of place. There’s a common tin mug on the carpet in the White Drawing Room. I found a domino on the floor, and rusted scissors, and nails, hundreds of nails, scattered around the palace. Where on earth have they come from?
From a Colonel of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Whitehall
Terrible morning for it, never known such a pea-souper, sleet coming down through it. Can’t be helped of course, no one to blame, but honestly you’d think the bloody weather would try a little harder, it is the State Opening of Parliament.
I had hoped the day would improve as it went on it but if anything it is worse now than at 0600hrs. I actually cannot see my hand in front of my face. Literally. No sun to speak of at all, jolly difficult to know what’s going on in this light. And a terrible littering of things all over the road, as if some strange shop had burst open and all its things spread out before us. The horses slip in all this mess.
There are crowds, of course there are crowds, many people have come out to see their Queen, even on a day like this. Of course they bloody have. The sides of The Mall quite crowded, and along Whitehall where I am situated. Odd thing is I can’t really see any of them, but I know they’re there, there’s a massing behind me, and I do hear the faint hubbub that’s typical of a crowd. They’re quite muted though, I must say. Sometimes I have heard the odd chink of china or glass but otherwise not much. And the other thing is, pigeons are bloody noisy this morning.
Her Majesty will be here before very long.
I do feel for her, absent from the public eye so long, so deep has her mourning been. But I must say I am very proud that she is among us again this day, such a little time still since she came out of her long distress. Shows great pluck. I did see the Prince Consort once, from a distance, for this very same ceremony. How she has grieved for him, as have we all. It is very fine that she has come out yet again for Parliament, we should indeed be most grateful. Rum thing is, I saw a police officer just this morning, spitting image of Albert he was, I do swear it.
I am quite conscious of my duty towards my Sovereign, how vulnerable she will be as she comes out of Buckingham Palace, and will continue to be as she progresses in the Irish State Coach along The Mall and down Whitehall, passing her people on either side of her. The truth is, no matter how many of our armed forces flank the way, it would not take very much for a villainous fellow to rush through our ranks and, if he were quick and had good aim, to take a shot at Her Majesty as she passes along at the customary slow pace, which, given the weather, must be slower yet than usual.
I try not to think on this, there must be all of several hundred members of the armed forces positioned around for the ceremony and for the Sovereign’s protection, but I cannot help asking myself: is the chain of protection fully linked, is there any weakness in the chain?
Oh damn those pigeons!
From a Yeoman of the Guard, Westminster Palace
As is our custom since that year in 1605 when Guy Fawkes was discovered beneath the Houses of Parliament with all his gunpowder, so do we ever on this day search the cellars to make sure no new modern Fawkes is down here on unholy business. We have searched last night, early this morning, and shall go down once again before Her Majesty arrives to visit the rooms above us.
I am content to report that there are no barrels of gunpowder to be found, I should even state that the cellars have been searched high and low and that they are innocently empty, except for one odd thing. I have seen an accumulation of dirt in the cellars, an amassing of strange objects, little bits and pieces, that I am certain were not here last time I came down. I have berated several junior officers. The rubbish has been swept away. I saw to it personally.
All is exactly how it should be now at 0700hrs, eighth February 1876.
0745hrs: on subsequent inspection the objects have returned, all manner of things, each innocent in and of itself; a coat hanger for example, a child’s pinafore, an awl, tin cups and plates, some common forks and spoons, but such a mass of them, where they come from no one can say, but they lie all around the Houses. Strange thing is that whenever they are swept away and piled up, they do seem to creep back. There shall not be time to dispense with so much sudden litter.
From the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain, a public servant, Westminster Palace
There’s a very special place in the Palace that is used only twice of every year. It is entered so very rarely and is kept in general quite sealed up, so that one cannot help wondering how it fares all the rest of the year. But today is indeed one of those days when it is used, when it springs into life, one might say, and does its duty. It is the Robing Room, and it is here that Her Majesty shall put on the Imperial State Crown, shall be dressed for the State Opening of Parliament. She shall enter the building from the Royal Entrance, come through the Norman Porch and then she shall be here, in this very room. From here, once robed, she shall be escorted through the Royal Gallery, through the Prince’s Gallery and into the House of Lords, there she shall be sat at her throne whilst the Lord Chancellor reads the speech for her. Yes, the day has come around again and I am as nervous as ever I was. I am fully aware of my duty. The Robing Room is quite ready.
Only, only this is the very strange thing.
There is a marble mantelpiece.
It quite covers up the greater fireplace that has so many different colours, with its bronze statues of Saint George fighting the dragon and Saint Michael vanquishing the devil. I almost feel as if the dragon and the devil, now unseen, have risen again and have gained the upper hand.
What is this new, large, marble fireplace, complete with female caryatids in the Robing Room?
I call out for assistance. No one knows how it came to be here, and all swear it was not here last night. The Queen has such a sharp eye she shall certainly see this obstruction instantly. I call out for castors to be found to roll the monstrosity away.
It truly is a most ugly piece of furniture, of very crude carving, not at all to the taste of the room; how it does clash so! Before any castors can be found the thing must at the very least be covered over with some sheet to shield it from view. But can the dread thing be shifted in time, for the Queen shall be here and presently?
I do not feel at ease.
No, in truth, I feel that something is very wrong.
Westminster Bridge 08:00 8th February 1876
Whitehall 10:30 8th February 1876, Moments Before the Arrival of the Queen