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LATE 19TH CENTURY
Details
QUEEN VICTORIA (1819-1901)
A GOLD, ENAMEL AND GEM SET ROYAL PRESENTATION BROOCH
LATE 19TH CENTURY
Designed as the cypher of Queen Victoria, 'VRI', set with turquoise and pearls surmounted by a crown with translucent red and green enamel decoration, the reverse engraved 'From Victoria RI to Lily Hanbury', original fitted red leather case by Collingwood & Co., the lid stamped 'To Lily Hanbury from Victoria R.I. Balmoral September 24th 1894.', the interior containing a handwritten note pinned to the lid 'Miss Lily Hanbury from The Queen'
1½ in. (3.8 cm.) high
A GOLD, ENAMEL AND GEM SET ROYAL PRESENTATION BROOCH
LATE 19TH CENTURY
Designed as the cypher of Queen Victoria, 'VRI', set with turquoise and pearls surmounted by a crown with translucent red and green enamel decoration, the reverse engraved 'From Victoria RI to Lily Hanbury', original fitted red leather case by Collingwood & Co., the lid stamped 'To Lily Hanbury from Victoria R.I. Balmoral September 24th 1894.', the interior containing a handwritten note pinned to the lid 'Miss Lily Hanbury from The Queen'
1½ in. (3.8 cm.) high
Provenance
Christie's, South Kensington, 7 November 2006, lot 51.
Special notice
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Further details
Lily Hanbury (1874-1908), made her first appearance on the stage with her cousin, Julia Neilson, as Myrine, in 'Pygmalion and Galatea' at the Savoy Theatre in 1888. Later in the same year she was to play Neodie in 'This Wicked World' and attracted more favourable reviews. Under the management of George Alexander she premiered the part of Lady Windermere in Oscar Wilde's 'Lady Windermere's Fan'- a contemporary authority commented that she had "acted with striking power and sincerity". Among other important characters played by Lily Hanbury were Lady Carlotta Deepdale in 'The Charlaton'; Lady Marchant, in 'A Bunch of Violets'; Madame De Mauban in 'The Prisoner of Zenda'; she was also noted for her Shakespearean characters including Ophelia, Portia and Calphurnia. In 1905 she married Herbert Guedalla, but tragically she was to die three years later due to medical complications following the birth of a still-born child. She was interred at the Jewish Cemetery at Willesden, London.
Lily Hanbury was presented with this brooch when she appeared before Queen Victoria in a private performance of 'The Red Lamp' at Balmoral on 24 September 1894.
Lily Hanbury was presented with this brooch when she appeared before Queen Victoria in a private performance of 'The Red Lamp' at Balmoral on 24 September 1894.