A certain number of sovereigns or allies of sovereigns had responded to his call:the Empress of the French, the Emperor of Austria, the Prince Royal of Prussia, the Prince of Holland...
The isthmus was soon to be the rendezvous of hundreds of scholars, writers, artists, delegates by the elite of all the countries of Europe, and several thousand curious people impatient to translate their admiration for this splendid achievement of intelligence and willpower.
Coming from Alexandria aboard his magnificent yacht, the Mahroussa, the khedive was waiting for his guests in Port Said, surrounded by his ministers and a cohort of senior Egyptian officials. On November 13, he saw the Prince and Princess of the Netherlands arrive; on the 14th, Ferdinand de Lesseps and several members of his family who were then in Egypt; on the 15th, the Emperor of Austria, escorted by a war frigate.
A considerable fleet of ships of all kinds and all tonnages were anchored in the port, gleaming and decked out.
A witness described those days as follows:On November 16, at the first hour, new ships entered the port.
At eight o'clock the Prince Royal of Prussia , on board the frigate Hesta, was at the entrance to the channel of the outer harbour; soon after he took up his place at the anchorage which was intended for him and received the same honors as the Emperor of Austria. jetties. The Eagle, carrying the Empress Eugénie, is reported. At this moment, the cannon exploded on all sides, the ships of the roadstead responding to the salvos sent from the interior of the port; all the sailors are on the yards, the national flag is on the mainmast, and all the ships are covered with bulwarks. The spectacle which presents itself to the gaze of the travelers of the “Aigle” is one of the most important; more than 80 ships, including about 50 warships, are stowed in the port; all the flags of Europe are included (there are 6 Egyptian warships, 6 French, 12 English, 7 Austrian, 5 German, 1 Russian, 2 Dutch, 1 Danish, 1 Swedish, 1 Norwegian, 2 Spanish.. .). The artillery salvoes redouble. The “Eagle” advances slowly, amid the redoubled cheers of the crews of all the European navies; the sounds of the music mingle with the acclamations from the ships and with those of the population gathered on the shore; enthusiasm is on all faces, emotion in all hearts. The “Eagle” stops, drops anchor, and in the middle of this indescribable scene the Empress expresses her impressions:“In my life, I have never seen anything more beautiful! »
The khedive, Mr. Ferdinand de Lesseps and his sons hastened to board the Aigle to greet the Empress. In • the course of the morning, the Emperor of Austria and the foreign princes also went there.
A religious ceremony was to precede the opening of the canal to general navigation. On the beach, in front of the Eugénie quay, three giant platforms had been erected; the first, closest to the quay, was intended for the viceroy's illustrious guests; opposite stood, on the left the platform reserved for the Muslim service, on the right the Christian altar. It was a noble and generous inspiration of the khedive wishing to symbolize thereby the union of men and their fraternity before God, without distinction of worship; it was the first time that in the East this contest of beliefs was seen, to celebrate and bless in common a great deed and a great work.
At one o'clock, the Egyptian troops came to form the hedge between the port landing stage and the platforms; the Egyptian artillery, for its part, massed between the west pier and the place of the ceremony. At three o'clock, the Prince of Prussia, the Prince and Princess of the Netherlands took their places on the platform, followed by the Emir Abd el-Kader who had embarked in Beirut on the French warship Forbin; then Mr. Ferdinand de Lesseps, the members of the Board of Directors of the Company, the staffs of the warships anchored in the port, the ambassadors of the powers, the consuls, the members of the Catholic clergy, etc. A few moments later the khedive and the Emperor of Austria arrived arm-in-arm with Empress Eugenie.