On Monday her Majesty the Queen, for the first time, returned from her sojourn at Windsor Castle, accompanied by her illustrious consort, Prince Albert, Count Mensdorf, &c., by way of the Great Western Railway. The intention of her Majesty to return to town by railroad was first intimated to the authorities at Paddington on Saturday afternoon, and in consequence preparations on an extensive scale were ordered to be made for the transit of the Royal pair from Slough to the Paddington terminus. which were carried into effect with the greatest secrecy. Immediately after the departure of the day mail-train from Paddington at a quarter past ten o’clock, the Royal train, consisting of the Phlegethon engine and tender, drawing the Royal saloon in the centre of two Royal saloon carriages, preceded by a second-class carriage, and followed by three carriage-trucks, started from the terminus at Paddington for Slough, which station they reached shortly before eleven o’clock. Previous to the departure from Paddington, the Royal saloon, the fittings of which are upon a most elegant and magnificent scale, were tastefully improved by bouquets of rare flowers arranged within the carriage. At Slough the Royal party, on their arrival at the station a few minutes before twelve o’clock, in six carriages, were received by Mr. C. Russell, the chairman; Mr. F. P. Barlow, one of the directors; and Mr. C. Saunders, the secretary of the railway company; and conducted to the splendid apartments at the station designed for the reception of royalty. Her Majesty, however, during the delay necessarily occasioned by the placing the carriages of the attendants on the trucks, &c., proceeded to the line, and examined the Royal Saloon, inquiring very minutely into the whole of the arrangements, and precisely at twelve o’clock the train left Slough for Paddington, Mr. Gooch, the principal of the locomotive department, accompanied by Mr. Brunel, the engineer, driving the engine.
At Paddington, by eleven o’clock, the centre of the wide space apportioned for the arrival of the incoming trains was parted off for the reception of the royal and illustrious visitors, and covered by a crimson carpet, which reached from one end of the platform to the other; the whole of the arrangements for the reception of the royal party being under the superintendence of Mr. Seymour Collard of the company’s police. Clark, the superintendent of the line, assisted by Superintendent Captain Hay, the assistant commissioner of metropolitan police, and Superintendent Lincoln, and a large party of the D division were also present. Before twelve o’clock large numbers of elegantly-dressed ladies, consisting of the families and friends of the directors and officers of the company, were ranged on each side of the part apportioned for the her Majesty’s carriage, drawn by four horses, arrived from the arrival of the royal train, and at five minutes before twelve o’clock Royal Mews at Pimlico, and a few minutes afterwards a detachment of the 8th Royal Irish Hussars, under the command of Captain Sir G. Brown, arrived from the barracks at Kensington, for the purpose of acting as an escort to her Majesty, &c. Precisely at twenty-five minutes past twelve o’clock the royal special train entered the Paddington terminus, having performed the distance in twenty-five minutes, and on her Majesty alighting she was received with the most deafening demonstrations of loyalty and affection we have ever experienced. His Royal Highness Prince Albert alighted first. Her Majesty, on being handed out of the royal saloon, in a most condescending manner returned the gratulations of the assemblage present. The cheers were reechoed by the numerous persons who crowded the bridge over the terminus leading to Paddington-green, and lined the avenue towards the Junction-road, along which the royal cavalcade passed. Her Majesty, &c., reached Buckingham Palace shortly before one o’clock, around which a large assemblage of respectable persons was awaiting her arrival, by whom she was loudly greeted.
The Illustrated London News, London, England, Week Ending June 18, 1842
