Prince of Wales reception 1875-76

      Prince of Wales Albert  Edward  ( later  King Edward VII ) with his wife Princess Alexandria of Denmark on their marriage in March 1863. He  visited India  in 1875-76  and Madras was part of his itinerary.  He came by train and alighted  at Perambur station.  A first hand account of the reception given to him.

    " The reception of the Prince at Perumpore a station some three miles landward of Madras was of course gorgeous.  The  Duke of  Buckingham in political  uniform of Blue and Gold was there  surrounded by his suite. There was a large assemblage of native princes and functionaries including the Chiefs of Travancore,  Cochin, Arcot and Vizianagaram. The  Prince was escorted to a carriage over which was reared an umbrella covered with gold the magnificence of which would make the renowned one from Ashantee pale into utter insignificance.  The  procession passed beneath ivy-clad Castles and Mahomedan mosques all specially reared in the  streets for royal entry and was led by the  scarlet squadron of the 16th lancers. These were followed by the mounted bodyguard of the governor, soldiers with blue coat and white braid of hussar pattern  and black helmets shaped like the saucepan hats of the crusaders. Next to the Prince's carriage came the members of council and after these again the clergy ,military  and the civilians  all wearing European uniform and attire so that were it not for the black ,purple, white, yellow  and scarlet multitude  shouting and surging behind the barriers put up in every throughfare of the long straggling city one might imagine the pageant was in England. At one portion of the route  fourteen thousand native and European children sang  " God bless the Prince of Wales "  as His Royal Highness carriage  went  slowly past them.