Punch (7.1844)

THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO THE CITY,

HPHE following will be as nearly as possible the ar-
rangements on tbe occasion of Her Majesty's going
to open the Royal Exchange, on the 28th instant :—

Her Majesty and Prince Albert are to be at
Temple Bar (the 'western boundary of the civic do-
minions) at exactly twelve o'clock ; and the Lord
Mayor, with the civic functionaries, will be standing
on the other side of the closed gate an hour previously,
taking it by turns to look througb the key-hole, so as
to be aware of the precise moment of the arrival of
the royal visitors. The hairdresser's shop, which forms
part of the gateway, will be blockaded by a strong
police force, so as to prevent the Corporation from
being surprised, and the proprietor will be compensated
by the price of six " easy shaves," as an equivalent
for what he will lose by the interruption to his usual
routine of rasping the chins of the public. The Queen will then pass into the apartments de

attendance under ,the portico ; the Chairman having
previously been voted on to the top step, to enable
him to preside over the meeting, the ordinary mem-
bers occupying the street posts, kerb-stone, and other
accommodations, until the arrival of Her Majesty. The
Gresham Committee will all start upon their legs when
the Queen appears in sight, and will receive her on
her arrival, the Chairman stammering out something
about "British Commerce;" the Queen alluding, in
reply, to the connection between the House of Bruns-
wick and the London Merchants. Her Majesty will
then be conducted into the area, across the open court,
up the principal staircase to the building appropriated
to Lloyd's, when she will probably express a wish to
see Lloyd, whose celebrated list she has heard so much
about.

A Herald will then kick at the gate, and ring the
top bell in the name of the Queen, while Stick-iti-
"Waiting will give a rap at the door, and Herald-in-
Ordinary will give a severe blow to his trumpet. The
Lord Mayor will then exclaim through the key-hole,
" AYho are you \ " and Tanner the hair-dresser will go
through a piece of pantomime at his window expressive
of the sentiment that he would let them through the
shop if he could, but that he really can't, and he will
make signs implying an uncertainty as to where his
allegiance is due, pointing first towards the Lord
Mayor, then towards the Queen, and ultimately
taking refuge under his own counter, leaving the two
sovereigns to arrange the matter between them. Stick-
in-Waiting will then put his mouth to the key-hole,
exclaiming, "Open in the Queen's name!" when
IWagnay will draw the bolt, the gates will be un-
closed, and he will rush out with two pantomime keys,
supposed to be the keys of the city, which he will hand
to Her Majesty, who will immediately hand them back
again.

The whole party will then proceed to the New Ex-
change, where the Gresham Committee will be in

voted to the Royal Exchange Assurance Company,
which it is expected Her Majesty will open by laying
the first insurance—that is to say, takiDg out the first
policy in the new office in favour of the royal apiary.
Her Majesty will, it is understood, not wear the splendid
badges of the orders of the Countyr Fire Office and the
Phoenix, in both of which some of the furniture at
Windsor is insured, but she will present the company
with the insignia that will in future be placed on all the
buildings insured in it. A banquet will be announced
at two, to which Her Majesty will be conducted, and
the corporation will then proceed to the discussion of
the real matters of interest connected with the day's
proceedings.

Such are the arrangements as far as we can at pre-
sent ascertain them, from the mysterious programme
which has been put forth ; but as the citizens are very
liable to be confused when they come to carry out their
own intentions, it is possible there will be a few devia-
tions from the path already chalked out. Punch having
received an invitation to the banquet and the rest of
the day's proceedings, will not tail to give a true
account of them.