3-065-851 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Queen at Portsmouth inspecting the Naval Brigade of the Ashantee War, 1874. 'The inspection by her Majesty [Queen Victoria] of the sailors and marines of the Royal Navy who so well bore their part, with three regiments of the Army, in the campaign against the Ashantees, was an interesting ceremony. [It took place on St. George's Day] in the Royal Clarence Victualling-yard at Gosport...The Yard was decorated with flags on poles set up all round the open space, and joined together by festoons of laurel...The sailors, the marines, and the Marine Artillery, were drawn up on three sides of the square...On the west side were about one hundred men, in four companies, of the Royal Marine Artillery, under Colonel F. W. Festing...The Queen, attended by the two Lords of the Admiralty, and Princess Beatrice with the Duke of Edinburgh, walked along these lines of the brave seamen and marines, and looked upon them with gracious approval'. From "Illustrated London News", 1874.