On Thursday 28 October 1843, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were escorted from Cambridge to Wimpole by the Whittlesea troop of the Cambridgeshire Yeomanry. The fourth Earl of Hardwicke, as Lord Lieutenant, had dispensed with the escort of Scots Greys, roundly declaring, "The County Cavalry are well able to guard Her Majesty as long as she may stay in Cambridgeshire." The royal cortege was met at the foot of Orwell Hill, and followed the same route* used by today's visitors to the gate, where they were met by the Earl and a younger brother, Eliot Thomas Yorke, MP for Cambridgeshire.

Lamps had been placed all the way along the drive and the front of the Hall was illuminated as the Queen was greeted at the steps, covered in crimson cloth, by the Earl and Countess at twenty-five minutes to six. The Queen and Prince were given two rooms on the first floor facing south to use as drawing rooms, and a breakfast room on the north front. For a dressing room Lady Hardwicke's boudoir, looking out over the elm avenue, was used; next was the royal bedroom and further along the Prince's dressing room; other rooms on the same floor were allotted to her entourage, and they used the private staircase. All these rooms had been specially redecorated for the occasion, and the great State Bed had the initials of Queen and Prince (V&A) worked somehow to each of the four supporters. A white lace coverlet was lined with green silk, and the hangings, according to a correspondent, were 'of elegant chintz with a white ground'.

On that first evening the guests assembled for dinner at quarter to eight in the Yellow Drawing Room, the Earl escorting the Queen in to dinner and the Prince taking the Countess. Guests included the Duke of Rutland, the Marquis of Exeter, the Marquis and Marchioness of Normanby, the Earl of Caledon, Earl de la Warr, Viscount and Viscountess Canning, two ladies-in-waiting and two gentlemen of the court; three of the earl's brothers and their wives and an old navel friend of the earl, Captain Hart**, were also present. The meal lasted an hour and a half, and the royal party stayed in the drawing room until eleven o'clock.

Next morning the Queen and Prince were up soon after seven and walked in the garden before attending prayers in the Chapel, taken by the other two brothers, Henry***, who was Rector of Wimpole, and Grantley, who was also a clergyman. After breakfast at ten o'clock, the Queen was shown some of the treasures of Wimpole, including, as she later wrote to her cousin, the Queen of the Belgians, "a sofa covered with a piece of drapery given by Louis XIV to the poet Matthew Prior, and by him to Lord Oxford, then owner of Wimpole."

The Prince went shooting in the Park with the earl and one of his gentlemen. At Cobbs Wood, borrowing the earl's guns, the Prince accounted for seventeen pheasants, a brace of hares and four rabbits; 'His Royal Highness,' claimed the Cambridge Chronicle, 'did not miss a single shot.'

Luncheon was at two o'clock. Afterwards the Queen drove down to the Arrington road gates, with the Prince riding on horseback: they were cheered by crowds of local villagers as they turned north to ride up to Bourn where Earl de la Warr's mansion was. The return journey entered the park by a rear way through the old village.

Friday's dinner party was larger and grander; opposite the Queen was placed 'a piece of very elaborate and exquisite workmanship representing St Michael overcoming the Dragon. This ornament is in frosted silver and was upon a polished fluted pedestal of silver.' Flanking it were 'handsome large silver ewers' and 'four magnificent fruit stands of a very costly description, and the room was lit with four immense candelabra of silver, each with six branches.' Standing round the room were figures of Hebe and of Fame, the latter on a pedestal of imitation lapis lazuli; and the sideboards, amidst much gold and silver plate, displayed a 'handsome cup of silver into which were worked no less than ninety-five medals which had been presented to Lord Cornwallis.'

But the grand event was the Ball, held after dinner. The whole of the ground floor, Gallery, Library, Book Room, Dining and Drawing Rooms - as well as the [now demolished] conservatory - were opened up. The drive from the Arrington road gates is a mile long, and though it was lit in places the night was dark and overcast; and it began to rain as the two-mile long queue of carriages made their way to the front of the hall. Eventually some 800 guests were ushered into the Gallery and other rooms leading to the Library where a throne had been placed on a dais for the Queen. Dancing was in the Gallery whose pillars were wreathed with laurel and red and white roses. Several hundreds of best wax candles provided illumination.

The young Queen was dressed in a brocaded silk gown of pale yellow called oiseau de paradis, and displayed the Order of the Garter in magnificent diamonds; her hair was decked with a wreath of pink roses. After passing between the line of guests, she danced three quadrilles, and then went to admire the conservatory. At midnight, the Queen's party went into the great dining room where the table, 'in the form of a prolonged horseshoe, groaned with plate and the viands provided'; Unfortunately, when the queen retired, that had to put an end to the dancing for her bedrooms were above the front suite of rooms. But as least, when the royal party had eaten, more ordinary guests were then admitted to the supper room which was 'crowded for nearly two hours.'

The following morning saw the royal departure. The local Yeomanry Cavalry, with the Earl and other gentlemen also mounted, again provided the escort, but this time down the Ermine Way to Royston and on to Buntingford. There was only one slight mishap, fortunately rectified in time. The good citizens of Royston had constructed a triumphal archway, emblazoned "The Yeomanry of Hertfordshire Greet Their Queen". This had previously stood on the Melbourn road, which the Queen had taken when arriving for the visit to Cambridge. With praiseworthy economy it had been dismantled and re-erected on the Bassingbourn road - but, alas, the stormy weather blew it down overnight. After a frantic rush it was, we're glad to say, again in place for Her Majesty as 'she passed through the arch and was greeted with enthusiastic cheers by hundreds of people who had assembled on the spot.'

*Route: Queen Victoria's Post Chaise turned into the Wimpole estate at the eastern entrance (then at the foot of Orwell Hill), before approaching the Hall along what became known as Victoria Drive. A new gate lodge (called Victoria Lodge) had been built especially for the visit. Victoria Drive still exists as a pleasant woodland pathway through the estate. Victoria Lodge was demolished around 1950 but the entrance gate to the drive can be found on the north side of the A603, almost opposite the end of Fishers Lane, Orwell.
**Francis Hart, Commander Royal Navy, died 26th March 1845 aged 49, and buried in Wimpole churchyard.
***Henry Reginald Yorke, Rector of Wimpole, b. 30th October 1802 d. 25th September 1871, buried in Wimpole Church vault.