He was right: his and her admirers came over and over again, and "Macbeth" was not withdrawn until June 29, 1889.
In the April of 1889 a very interesting event took place. Having received the royal command, Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, and the Lyceum Company appeared before Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and many other members of the Royal Family, at what was for the nonce dubbed the "Theatre Royal, Sandringham." For the occasion the ballroom had been converted into a miniature Lyceum, the proscenium and act-drop of the theatre having been produced on a smaller scale. The following was the programme:--
Royal Entertainment. By command of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, before Her Majesty the Queen.
A drama in three acts from the "Juif Polonais" of MM. Erckmann--Chatrian.
Mathias Mr Henry Irving Walter Mr Howe Hans Mr Johnson Christian Mr Alexander Dr Zimmer Mr Haviland Notary Mr Coveney President of the Court Mr Tyars Mesmerist Mr Archer
Catherine Mrs Pauncefort Sozel Miss Linden Annette Miss Coleridge
Shylock Mr Henry Irving Duke of Venice Mr Howe Antonio Mr Wenman Bassanio Mr Alexander Salarino Mr Harvey Gratiano Mr Tyars Clerk of Court Mr Coveney
Nerissa Miss Linden Portia Miss Ellen Terry
Director, Mr Irving; Assistant Director, Mr Loveday; Musical Director, Mr Ball.
The Scenery painted by Mr Hawes Craven; the Act-drop painted by Mr Hann.
After the performance, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry had the honour of being presented to Queen Victoria, who expressed herself with enthusiasm as to their respective impersonations. Subsequently, through the Prince of Wales, her Majesty presented the great actor with a pair of handsome diamond and gold sleeve-links, and the reigning Portia with a brooch, as beautiful as it was costly.
In her next Lyceum part, that of Catherine Duval, in the revival of Watts Phillips's stirring French Revolution drama, "The Dead Heart" (Sept. 28, 1889), Ellen Terry did all she had to do with her usual taste, and evinced much pathos; but the character afforded her no really great chance. The occasion was, however, a very interesting one, for Gordon Craig (Edward Wardell, who had made his first appearance on the stage in America as the boy Joey, in "The Fate of Eugene Aram") played with great skill the part of Arthur, the handsome son of Catherine, after she had become the wife of the Count de St. Valery. It was pleasant to see the mother and son thus playing together, though looking at her it seemed almost impossible that the relationship could exist. Indeed, one writer was induced to predict that the situation would in due course be reversed, and that Ellen Terry, "blessed with perennial youth and undecaying beauty, will successfully portray a character, in some happily-chosen drama, in which she will pose as the daughter of her own son."