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| H.R.H. Princess Victoria Mary of Tech, c.1896 [From my own collection] |
HM Queen Mary
Continuing my series of "Royal Discoveries" [Click Here to read the first instalment], sometimes, being very knowledgeable on a subject and having a good photographic memory can be a distinct advantage. In 2006 and while wandering round a large antique shop on New Zealand's South Island, and which was literally groaning with a vast array of chinaware, glassware and other varied objects d'art, a small mounted photo in a cabinet, and being of an elegant woman, caught my eye. Set in a gold coloured metal mount and fixed onto a blue and embossed velvet backing, it included hand written notes where someone had tried to identify the lady as a possible family member.
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| The Original Cabinet Card Portrait of Princess Mary of Teck, later to become Queen Mary. [Source : Wikipedia] |
But I knew instantly that it was an earlier photo of the late Queen Mary, wife of King George V. The photograph was in fact taken around 1893 at the time of her marriage and while still Her Serene Highness, Princess Victoria Mary, of Tech she would, after her marriage, be styled Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of York. Brought up in Darmstadt, Germany, Princess Mary (who was known by her family as "May") was the daughter of a German Nobleman, the Duke of Tech and his wife, Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, who was in fact a great grand daughter of King George III. Being perhaps rather wicked, it was only after paying for the item that I enlightened the Dealer as to the correct attribution whereupon he definitely looked decidedly downcast. Had he recognized this royal personage that would (and knowing the prices charged by this particular shop) at least have doubled the price. To be honest, I was surprised that such an established Dealer had not made the connection himself. Knowledge is everything so simply, "Caveat Venditor" - meaning "Let the Seller Beware"!
As an aside, I have since noted an equivalent portrait of the Duke of York (late King George V) in exactly the same of style of gold mount but this example was then without the blue velour backing. So it was obvious that with a back support and also a small fitted rung (as mine does) they were both intended to be displayed as a pair, either propped up with their stands or hung on a wall. The photo of Queen Mary originally had a cover made from an early type of clear plastic, but as it had darkened with age I carefully removed it and while I still have it, replacing it might break it as it appears to be very brittle.
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The printed menu for the dinner given by Queen Victoria described in this Blog, 15th May 1879 [From my own collection] |
Her Majesty's Dinner
As to my second "Royal Discovery", prior to 2012 a New Zealand online auction item caught my attention, and I bid on what I knew was definitely an original six course menu card from a dinner given in May 1879 by Her Majesty Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle. Elaborately printed menu's were then the norm for large dinners and I actually thought nothing more of it. It was just a "nice to have" item with an undisputed Royal provenance.
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Entry in Queen Victoria's Diary describing the Dinner given for the German Empress, at Windsor Castle on the 15th May 1879. (as transcribed by Princess Beatrice) [Source : Royal Archives] |
Fortuitously, in 2012 Queen Victoria's Journals were digitized and placed online (initially for free) and I was quickly able to ascertain exactly who attended this dinner. It was in fact a grand dinner given by Queen Victoria in honour of the visit of Augusta, Empress of Germany from 1871 to 1888 and Consort of the German Emperor William I. So this added rather more significance to my menu card. You can read my previous Blog about her visit HERE.
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| Empress Elizabeth "Sisi" of Austria, the day of her Coronation as Queen of Hungary, 1867 [Source : Wikipedia] |
HM Empress Elizabeth ("Sisi") of Austria
As to my final discovery for this blog post, this was an interesting unidentified find in a large antique store on New Zealand's North Island. Just to be clear I did not wish to purchase this item but informed the owner of the shop of the correct attribution and how I knew this to be correct. He thanked me for this information and I imagine after confirming my attribution online he quickly upped the price.
The item was in fact a large framed portrait of Empress Elizabeth of Austria (1837-1898), now affectionally known as "Sisi". Having personally visited the Sisi Museum as part of a self-guided tour of the Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg, in Vienna, being the former Hapsburg Dynasty Royal Palace, and having bought a couple of colour portrait postcards of the late Empress, I had recognized her instantly. I do not recall if the above commonly used image was the exact one in question but it was definitely a monotone print.
Empress Elizabeth is in fact a fascinating woman and renowned for not just her famed beauty. Having been born into the Bavarian Royal family and while not of Austrian Hapsburg blood, she is in fact still greatly revered in Austria. Having married the Austrian Emperor and King of Hungary, Franz Josef I in 1854, Elizabeth never quite took to the restrictions of Royal court life imposed on her by the Viennese Court and increasingly embarked on travel as a means of escape, usually incognito to avoid any public attention. Her husband actually "indulged her wanderings", perhaps through fear of losing her altogether. While "emotionally distant" from her husband she bore him four children and while in later years they saw very little of each other, they corresponded frequently, "and their relationship became a warm friendship".
A sensitive but highly intelligent and well-read woman of independent spirit, Elizabeth would be greatly mourned after her shocking muder at Geneva in 1898 at the hands of an anarchist. Her free-standing sarchophagus, along side that of her husband, may be visited, along with the sarchophagi of many other Austrian Royals, in the Imperial Crypt in the Capuchin Church in Vienna. Having also visited, I was horrified by the number of tourists taking flash photos and I felt no sense of serenity let alone peace and quiet. The "cult of Sisi", although now somewhat commercialized, ensures however that Elizabeth, a much loved Empress for 44 years and deeply mourned after her untimely death, will not be forgotten.
How this Victorian era framed print of an Austrian Empress ended up in New Zealand might be a story in its own right but on my next visit to the antique store in question the framed print was nowhere to be seen. I hope it went to a good home.
All Rights Reserved
Sources :
- Personal collection
- Various Internet sources
- Wikipedia
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