Diary of Charles Francis Adams, 1863
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The accounts which came of the tribulation experienced on Tuesday are some of them amusing enough. The luckless guests who tarried at Windsor fared ill. Waiting to see the bridal pair depart, they fell into the crowd assembled for the purpose, and in the effort to get seats in the train met with much discomfort and damage to their dresses. Lady Westminster and Lady Salisbury two of the haute noblesse, the former bearing on he person jewels to the value of sixty thousand pounds were glad to find refuge from the melée in a third class carriage for town. Others who left later reached the Paddington Station after the press of carriages at the illumination had commenced, and were unable to get home until late in the night. A lady who had invited a party to dinner waited for them in vain. Such is London on a gala night in the nineteenth century! My Despatches for this week were light and I got through with them early. A walk as usual. In the evening we all went to a ball at Lady Stanley’s of Aldesley. Given to the Duchess of Cambridge who was not there, and to the Princess Mary who was, large as life. The Prince and Princess of Denmark were also present, the parents of the bride. We remained for the sake of Mary until after one o’clock, when the party was breaking up.