3-011-957 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Free opening of the Royal Horticultural Society's Gardens on the anniversary of the late Prince Consort's birthday, 1864. '...the Horticultural Gardens at South Kensington, of which his Royal Highness was the founder, were opened to the public for the first time free of charge...it was estimated that not less than 120,000 people visited them in the course of the day...the vast crowd, composed of all classes, but especially of the middle and lower, with a large proportion of children, appeared thoroughly to enjoy themselves...scarcely any restriction was placed upon the visitors, who were free to go where they pleased...The pupils of several schools, that of the Duke of York among the rest, went in procession with their banners and bands, for which they had the express permission of the council. Other bands were stationed at various parts of the gardens, and played at intervals during the day. A body of metropolitan police were in attendance, but were so distributed over the grounds as to appear as little obtrusive as possible...the Old Hundredth Psalm, with a hymn composed by the Prince Consort, and the National Anthem, were sung with fine effect by the visitors on the upper terrace, the singing being led by trumpeters'. From "Illustrated London News", 1864.