Object of the Day: A Souvenir of the Unexpected Coronation of King George VI, 1937

Born in 1895—the son of the future King George V and Mary of Teck—he was welcomed into the world on the anniversary of the death of his Great Grandfather, Prince Albert. His parents were nervous to tell Queen Victoria of the child’s birth given the fact that she was distraught by the anniversary of her beloved husband’s passing. And, so, to mollify his grandmother, George V called his son, “Albert.” The name was said to have pleased the Queen who wrote, “I am all impatience to see the new one, born on such a sad day but rather more dear to me, especially as he will be called by that dear name which is a byword for all that is great and good.”


Known affectionately as “Bertie” throughout his life, the young prince never imagined that he would be king. At the time of his birth, he was fourth in line for the throne after his grandfather (Edward VII), his father (George V) and his eldest brother (Edward VIII). Nervous, plagued by ill-health and a horrible stutter, “Bertie” preferred a quiet life, marrying Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923.

Bertie’s mother, Mary of Teck, and father both had issues with their party-boy eldest son. His parents hoped that, somehow, Bertie would one day ascend to the throne. George V was known to have said, "I pray to God my eldest son will never marry and have children, and that nothing will come between Bertie and Lilibet [Bertie and Elizabeth’s eldest daughter, now Queen Elizabeth II] and the throne."

It seemed that George V’s wish would come to pass—despite reluctance from his youngest son. Upon the death of George V, Edward ascended to the throne as Edward VIII. However, Edward was not to last a year and walked away from the role of sovereign before his coronation, preferring to marry his questionable lady-friend instead of ruling the empire.

The date of the coronation remained the same, only the king was different. May 19, 1937 saw the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later known as The Queen Mother). Aside from his personal issues, King George VI has much to deal with during his reign—the splintering of the empire as well as the Second World War.

Souvenirs from the 1937 coronation are quite interesting to me. In my collection of Royal memorabilia, I have several items with the same coronation date—some for Edward VIII, some for George VI. The souvenirs made for Edward VIII were quickly pulled from the shelves and largely destroyed, replaced with quickly-assembled pieces bearing the countenances of George VI and Elizabeth.

I especially like this mug. The images of the King and Queen are classic late-1930’s artwork. The stylized profiles set against the primarily-colored crest look almost ethereal and are the perfect symbol of the reluctant king and his supportive bride.

Object of the Day: A Souvenir of the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary, 1911

Things have gotten quite muggy here at Bertie’s house. No, not just because of the humid weather, but because of the introduction of nearly a dozen new pieces of Royal Memorabilia to my increasingly large collection of such items. Thanks to my parents, my study is now filled with even more little Royal visages—particularly of George V and my personal favorite, Queen Mary.


I’ve written at length about my fondness for Queen Mary—the seemingly steely one-time Queen Mother and fierce collector of important antiquities. George V was equally fierce in a different way. He inherited the throne at a time of political and social turmoil and led his nation through the chaos of the First World War. Known to the current Queen as “Grandfather England,” George V guided both Britain and his family through a very difficult period and is responsible, in many ways, for the current face of the Royal Family and the Empire.

I do so enjoy having these Royal souvenirs around me and can’t help but smile when I look at them. They connect me to a history which means so much to me. While Britain is not my country of origin, I feel a strong kinship with its history and the way in which the story of the Empire fits into the great puzzle of world culture.

This mug is particularly special to me. At one point I had my hands on it and when we were checking out, it was accidentally separated from our purchases. So, I’m especially glad to have it. While it does not have a maker’s mark, it is dated, 1911, and it’s an unusual example of a Coronation mug of the period. It is not only brightly-colored, but decorated with English roses. With its fine images and unusual color scheme, it has a visual strength which nicely represents the power of a very important reign.

Mastery of Design: A Diamond Snuff Box, 1770

Table Snuff Box, 1770
German
Bloodstone, gold, diamonds
The Royal Collection

Over three thousand diamonds backed in silver, pink and yellow foil adorn this bloodstone snuff box. German in origin, the box was made for Frederick II of Prussia who had a collection of over three hundred snuff boxes.


Heralded for its magnificent use of gold mounts and the clarity of its diamonds, the box was considered one of the great treasures of Prussia. In 1917, it was seized by Soviet authorities and, as these things often did, somehow ended up in the hands of Mary of Teck.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Dorset Bow Brooch, 1893 (Reposted from May 12, 2011)

The Dorset Bow Fan
English, 1893
The Royal Collection

This exceptionally fine diamond brooch helped start a trend in jewelry design, giving rise to the popularity of “bow brooches,” a style which endures to this day. The brooch was a gift to Mary of Teck on the occasion of her marriage (to the future King George V) in 1893.


When Mary’s granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) married in 1947, this was among the many exquisite diamond pieces which Queen Mary lavished on the young bride.

Unfolding Pictures: The Eu Fan, 1886 (Reposted from May 12, 2011)

Antique Hand Fan
Eugène Lami, 1886
French
The Royal Collection

This fan with its splendidly painted leaf, magnificent carved ivory sticks and guards with applied silver, diamonds, rubies and sapphires which form the letters “M.A.” had long been admired by Mary of Teck who had an eye for such things.


The fan was the property of French Queen Amélie and represented the work of one of the finest fan-makers in France, Eugène Lami. The fan’s leaf depicts a scene of the Château d’Eu, the country residence of the Orléans family, as it would have appeared in the Seventeenth Century.

Queen Amélie bequeathed the fan to Queen Mary upon her death in 1953, but Queen Mary died weeks later and never received the fan. It was delivered to HM Queen Elizabeth II—Queen Mary’s granddaughter--in 1954.

Gifts of Grandeur: Tsar Nicholas II’s Imperial Presentation Box, 1900

Imperial Presentation Box
Made for Tsar Nicholas II, 1900
Carl Blank for K. Hahn Co.
Two-color gold, guilloché enamel,
rose-cut diamonds, and seed pearls.
Queen Mary, by whom given to
King George V
The Royal Collection

This gorgeous box created of two-color gold, guilloché enamel, rose-cut diamonds, and seed pearls appears, at first glance, to be the work of Fabergé, but it isn’t. Crafted in 1900, the box bears the mark of Carl Blank of K. Hahn. Hahn was one Fabergé’s main competitors for imperial commissions and Blank was one of his chief artisans.


Of the 370 Russian Imperial Presentation boxes, 150 were made by Fabergé and 50 were made by Hahn. This box is one of Hahn and Blank’s finest. Within a field of sky-blue enamel, the cipher of Tsar Nicholas II has been set in diamonds and accented by pearls.

One of several items from the Revolution that Queen Mary acquired, she purchased the box from a dealer, recording it in the Royal Collection as an Imperial Presentation Box made for Tsar Nicholas II. Mary of Teck did make one error in her recording of the piece. She attributed the work to Fabergé. She later gave the box to her husband, King George V.

Saturday Sparkle: Queen Mary’s Stomacher, circa 1920

Queen Mary's Stomacher
Circa 1920
Gold and Diamonds
The Royal Collection

I love the word “stomacher.” The term often refers to a decorative fabric panel of a triangular shape that fits into the front of a woman’s gown at the bodice. It also refers to a similarly shaped piece of jewelry which is worn in the same spot on a gown.


This stomacher was made for Mary of Teck around 1920, possible by Garrard’s. This magnificent work of gold and diamonds is actually three brooches that can be worn as one piece or individually. It was constructed from the large diamonds from two of her wedding presents: the “Kapurthala” stomacher and the ‘Town of Swansea’ crescent, both given in 1893. Queen Mary wore the stomacher frequently and made it a gift to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) on her wedding day in 1947.

Gifts of Grandeur: Queen Mary’s Diamond Bangles, 1893

Pair of Gold and Diamond Bangles
Presented to Mary of Teck in 1893
The Royal Collection

In 1893, as a wedding gift, Mary of Teck (after 1911, known as Queen Mary), was presented with a gorgeous pair of gold and diamond bangles by the Bombay Presidency. Knowing how much Mary loved sparkly things, I’m pretty sure she liked them.


There were two things that Queen Mary cared for more than art and jewels—her family and her country. In 1947, she presented these bangles to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh.

Object of the Day: A Royal Doulton Commemorative Mug

Royal Doulton has been producing exceptional tableware, china and collectables since 1815. The very name is revered for its quality and it has become associated with fine English style and culture. The artists at Royal Doulton have also been known to participate in the tradition of producing Royal souvenirs such as this gold-rimmed China mug made to commemorate the 1911 coronation of King George V and Queen Mary.


I’ve written at length about my appreciation of Mary of Teck. In fact, as I write this, she’s glowering down at me from a lovely photograph. She’s beautifully represented on this mug as is George V who looks far more handsome than he really was. A notable bit of trivia is that the artist has taken great pains to represent the Royal badges and insignia worn by the King and Queen Consort. For example, the Badge of the Order of Victoria and Albert is clearly identifiable amongst the jewels on Mary’s sash.

Queen Mary's Badge of the Order of Victoria and Albert
The Royal Collection

Mastery of Design: The Fabergé Mosaic Egg, 1914

Imperial Easter Egg
Mosaic of gold, platinum, enamel, rose and brilliant diamonds,
rubies, emeralds, topaz, quartz, sapphires, garnets, moonstone
1914 Fabergé
Designed by Alma Theresia Pihl
Purchased for Queen Mary, 1933
The Royal Collection

Commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II for Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, this remarkable, three-dimensional mosaic of gold, platinum, enamel, rose and brilliant diamonds, rubies, emeralds, topaz, quartz, sapphires, garnets, moonstone was confiscated by the provisional Russian government in 1917. After being sold, it passed through several sets of hands before being purchased by King George V as a gift for his wife, Mary of Teck.


This imperial Easter egg features five oval medallions filled with a repeating design of miniature flowers. The intricate design was by Alma Theresia Pihl, the granddaughter of August Holmström, Fabergé's principal jeweler. By 1914, August Holmström had retired and his workshop was taken over by his nephew Albert Holmström who acted as the work-master responsible for the production of this egg.

The skill needed to produce this complicated design is almost unfathomable. Each gemstone had to be precisely cut to fit into its proper place in the platinum framework which supports the piece. The dimensions of each stone had to be carefully calculated in advance.

This egg, like the other Imperial Easter Eggs, bears a hidden “surprise” inside of it. When opened, an enamel medallion surmounted by the imperial crown is held in place by two gold clips. One side of the medallion features the profiles of the five imperial children while the reverse shows their names and the dates of their births. An added surprise is the initials of the Tsarina beneath the moonstone at the base of the egg.

Perhaps one of the most difficult of designs produced by The House of Fabergé, the egg was dedicated to Fabergé’s father, Gustav whose initials are included on the reverse of the medallion.