gb0551ms-33-79

Transcription

Page 79
[continued from page 78]

it was our own or on loan. She appreciated
the effect of the 18th. Cent. [Century] Venetian decanters, &
tumblers in the lower part of the case of
enameled glass. She had a look at the
Persian & Spanish Glass, and as we passed
along I drew her attention to the choicest
pieces of early Oriental. She showed a
knowledge & familiarity with the subject of
china that rather surprised me. The Princess
had told me that her Mother had a room
full of Wedgewood at Windsor, & I was sorry
we had so little to show her. From the
China Gallery we passed to the textile
gallery, & there Her Majesty had a good
look at Lord Morton’s sewed work, Mrs Leslie
Melville’s Curtains on which I showed her
the crowned cipher with the 8 and 5 beneath.
She especially admired the two buhl tables
lent by the Duke of Buccleuch, and
also Monmouth’s saddlery. To finish she
graciously consented to have a look
at the ships & models in the Makinery
Hall. By her request no restrictions were
placed on the movements of the numerous
visitors, & she was inconvenienced in no
way. It was altogether a delightful

visit as Her Majesty seemed quite to enjoy it,
and was so pleasant. At one point we met
Jocelyn & Blanche, & Lady Minto presented
them. As we were going towards the door
the Queen asked me who the two ladies were
whom Lady Minto had presented to her. I told
her, & added that my brother had had the
honour of an interview some years ago
when he took the Newstead helmets to Holy:
:rood. “I remember” said Her Majesty “and
I think I saw him at the Garden party
on Wednesday.” What a memory! When
we came to the top of the steps to depart
she suggested I should not come down
as it was wet, but I said I should like to
& accompanied her to the car. She shook
hands & expressed herself as much pleased
with her visit, and waved a farewell as she
drove away. This visit particularly
pleased me for I take the full credit for
the rearrangement of cases & the display
of the objects in the Ceramic Gallery which
induced it. Her Majesty has no liking for
the overdecorated continental porcelain and
dislikes as much as I do the modern jewelled
Sevres & the other disagreeable specimens of
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