That Was Jersey |
Local history for everyone |
CHANNEL ISLANDS |
Philip John Ouless (1817 - 1885) was a prolific artist. A collection of work called Scenic Beauties was presented to Queen Victoria on her first visit to the Island. She requested that he should provide a picture of the harbour as the Queen landed there. He went on to illustrate the whole of the Royal Visit and it was later published as the Royal Jersey Album.
This viewpoint from the harbour has attracted many excited Islanders; across St Aubin's Bay, beyond Elizabeth Castle, the Royal Yacht with its three accompanying steamers can be seen, having just passed Noirmont Point. The Bailiff, a representative from the Lieutenant-Governor and the Queen's ADC all boarded the Royal Yacht. Sir John Le Couteur had with him a copy of a book by Ouless to present to Her Majesty. They also discussed arrangements for the following day. It was agreed with due regard to tides that the Royal party would land at 11.00 the next morning, Thursday 3rd September 1846.
This view is taken from Belle Vue, the home of Sir John Le Couteur, overlooking St Aubin's harbour. The four visiting ships can be seen beyond St Aubin's Fort.
On the evening of Wednesday 2nd, it was barely dark when fireworks illuminated the sky in honour of the Queen. One contemporary described it:
Exactly at six o'clock the Victoria and Albert royal yacht rounded Noirmont Point, followed by the Black Eagle, and rapidly entered that part of St Aubin's Bay called the Great Roads, separated from the town of St Helier by Elizabeth Castle. From the hills and acclivities [slopes], and all around the cheering was tremendous, and the roaring of the battery cannon, with the music of the bands, formed a greeting for the Queen at once hearty, stirring and sublime! At precisely ten minutes before sunset, the Royal Squadron, consisting of the Victoria and Albert (Royal yacht), the Fairy, Black Eagle, and the Garland, came to anchor in that part of the bay just mentioned, and as the dark set in, rockets darted upwards from the earth, and fires were lighted on all the surrounding hills."
The Royal party consisted of the Queen, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, Ldy Jocelyn, the Honourable Miss Kerr, the Dowager Lady Littleton, Earl Spencer, Viscount Palmerston, Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, Colonel Grey, and Sir James Clark, MD. The harbour was renamed Victoria Harbour in the sovereign's honour. In later years another arm would be built and named for Prince Albert.
The arrival of the Queen was greeted by thousands of Islanders: "the thundering cheers of twenty thousand voices". There was a military precision to much of the proceedings; but there were also more relaxed moments to her visit. Ouless has here captured enormous detail of the scene at the Harbour, and one can sense the pomp of the occasion.
From the Harbour the procession went past the Weighbridge and along the Esplanade as far as Gloucester Street.
This was "indisputably the largest, the loftiest, and the most handsomely decorated" of all the arches. It included a balcony where people could view the procession. The arch was located between the prison and the hospital, and was built entirely at the expense of Nicholas Le Quesne, whose house it adjoined.
After Gloucester Street, came The Parade and the approach to the Royal Square along Broad Street. The triple arch here shows the initials V and A either side of the crown at the top. All available windows were taken by waving crowds. The Commercial Bank had provided its own welcome (just visible through the arch).
The view of the Royal Square has more fascinating detail. The Royal Court is the second building on the left; the statue of George II is central; and the town church can just be seen behind the railings. From here the Royal party turned through Peirson Place into King Street, and then north into Halkett Place. The market had been handsomely decorated, and there were arches at almost every corner. The route continued along Beresford Street and up Bath Street towards St Mark's church.
The arch here was distinctive in its design, being square and supported with four Norman arches. It was around here that the Queen, noticing that the States members had thus far accompanied her on foot, suggested they should be released from that duty.
The Queen's procession continued along Windsor Crescent and towards St Saviour's Hill. At Government House the Queen's A D C thanked the police escort for all their work in maintaining safety and order, and they too were released from the procession. The Queen decided that she would like to proceed swiftly to Mont Orgueil Castle, so the Royal Party set off again, this time at full gallop.
On arrival at the Castle, the Queen climbed as far as the grand battery, while Prince Albert explored more thoroughly, enjoying particularly the views across to France and around the Island's east coast. The Queen commanded a record to be made of her visit in the Castle's Visitors Book.
The return journey to town was past La Hougue Bie and the Prince's Tower, and on through "the village of the Five Oaks", at which point the horses were slowed to a walking pace for the remainder of the drive back to the Harbour. They drove along St Saviour's Road, Belmont Road and into Bath Street. They returned to the harbour along Conway Street.
The farewell to the Queen and her party was as grand as her welcome had been. Thousands of people crowded the quays to glimpse the Royal procession and to wish their monarch well as she left the Island. There was singing and cheering, firing of guns and much satisfaction at Her Majesty's visit to her loyal subjects.