I have been Emperor-hunting two mornings. […] Yesterday morning I found all the world assembled in Pall Mall and St. James’s Street in order to see him [the Tsar of Russia] pass to Carlton House, where there was an Investiture of the Garter, and I got a sight of him as he returned. […]

I dined in Park Place, and went to the opera with the Harbords and Selina Shirley, without any expectation of the presence of any of these grandees; but in the course of the performance, Blucher [Gebhard von Blücher, Prince of Wahlstadt] came into the Duchess of York’s box with her Royal Highness. The opera was quite forgotten, and everybody was up and upon the benches: there were besides, several other of the Princes and generals and many foreign officers in different parts of the house. I wish they would all go about ticketed—it would save a great deal of trouble in finding out their names. Blucher, however, could not be mistaken. After the opera “God save the King” was sung. The illuminations were very splendid, the finest are amongst the public offices: and most particularly at Somerset House. There were also fireworks let off from the top of the Horse Guards.