Welsh Journals

Miscellany. ROYAL DIARISTS IN POWYSLAND. Royalties visiting the ancient province of Powys in the first half of the XIXth Century were few and far between. It is extremely doubtful if any member of the reigning family had penetrated into this part of the Principality since the days of Charles I., but at the end of the last week of July, 1832, the Corporation of Welshpool were informed that H.R.H. the Duchess of Kent, accompanied by the heiress to the throne of Britain, the Princess Victoria, would be paying a visit to Powis Castle during the following week. The Bailiffs of the Borough hastily convened a meeting of the inhabitants on Monday, July 30th, of that year, for the purpose of considering the best method of testifying their loyalty and attachment to the royal family. It was resolved that the Royal Standard be hoisced on the tower of St. Mary's Church and on the Town Hall, and the inhabitants were requested to decorate their houses with laurels and other evergreens. It was further decided that the day (Thursday, August 2nd) be ushered in by the ringing of the bells in St. Mary's Tower, to be continued at intervals during the day, that a subscription be entered into to defray the expenses, that an address be presented to their Royal Highnesses on behalf of the Corporation and Burgesses of the Borough, and that decorated arches be erected at the Town Hall, and Cross Pump, and also at the several entrances into the town. The following description of the day's happenings is taken from the Diary of H.M. Queen Victoria, then the youthful Princess Victoria. Thursday, 2d Augt, 1832. We had our horses watered half-way. When we arrived at the outskirts of Welshpool we were met by a troop of Yeomanry who escorted us for a long time and the little town was ornamented with arches, flowers, branches, flags, ribbons, etc., etc. The guns fired as we came up the park and the band played before Powis Castle; Lord Powis and Mr. Clive met us at the door of his beautiful old Castle, and Lady Lucy and Lady Harriet Clive were in the Gallery. The Castle is very old and very beautiful; the little old windows jutting in and out and a fine gallery with a dry rubbed floor and some beautiful busts. I am now dressing for dinner." The young diarist evidently inadvertently made a slight error in entering up her diary by referring to Lord Powis as the owner of the Castle at that date. The entry should have read Lord Clive and Mr. Clive," i.e., the Hon. Robert Clive, M.P., who married the Lady Harriet Windsor, daughter and