16May1863, The Drawing Room

LONDON, Saturday, May 16th, 1863.
— Some rain : soft and pleasant. I breakfasted in G. St., and saw old M. set off for the drawing-room, looking her very best, in blue and silver. She was tired to death, having to spend six hours in the performance ; which we happy entrée people [FN: The Gladstones, of course, had the entrée.] achieved in little more than an hour. It bewilders me to think that, at the last drawing-room I was at, the Queen stood there ; the unexampled sunshine of her life yet uneclipsed, and her husband beside her. This one was held by the Princess of Wales, who looked pale and not so lovely as she is generally thought ; but very sweet and winning. Prss. Alice shook hands with me. There were 5 curtseys to be made, as, besides those, there were there Pr. of Wales, and the Cambridges.