Page:Catherine of Bragança, infanta of Portugal, & queen-consort of England.djvu/181

 LABORATE and lavish preparations were making by the city of London to give a magnificent reception to the new Queen. The state entry to the city by water was fixed for August 23. It was on a scale never before witnessed. On the day, which was one of ^summer weather, and radiantly fine, Catherine left Hampton Court Palace, and came down to the waterside, where lay awaiting her the royal barge. She got in, and Charles after her, followed by the Duke and Duchess of York, Prince Rupert and his brother Prince Edward, and the Countess of Suffolk as lady-in-waiting. When they had pushed off, another barge filled with Catherine's ladies and officers of the household. The Countess of Penalva and the Countess de Ponteval did not add their farthingales to the show. They were both unwell, and unable to accompany Catherine.

The shores of the river were lined with soldiery, and mobs of eager people pressed on each other to see the sight. When they came within eight miles of London they had to alight from their barges, and re-embark in others, so much larger that they could not come further up the river. This inconvenient change of barge might have been considered sufficient. The second barge had glass windows and a crimson and gold canopy. But at Putney there was another disembarkation, and at last the Royalties were in the state