LAST WORD Mark Allum
Marc My Words From the Duke of Windsor’s pug collars to Queen Victoria’s bloomers, memorabilia with a royal connection will always be collectable, writes Marc Allum
black taffeta “cleavage” gown worn by the then Lady Diana Spencer for her first official appearance, following her engagement to Prince Charles, was sold by Kerry Taylor auctions for £192,000 (having been expected to make £30,000). Another dress worn by Kate Middleton at the St Andrew’s University charity fashion show in 2002 was also sold by Kerry Taylor auctions for £78,000.
Royal pugs My own collecting habits are often governed by fate and I tend to become the owner of an object more by circumstance than by design. I once owned a piece of Bonny Prince Charlie’s tartan trews and then seriously regretted selling it to an American collector. I have a card signed by the Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII) together with a photograph of him in his polo gear and another photograph signed by George V. I value these for their tangible connection to these historic figures and it’s a passion that drives most collectors to own objects with concrete provenance. In 2008, five dog collars came up for sale in Bonhams New York. Our monarchy has always had strong associations with their animals. Just as our present Queen has her corgis, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor had their pugs – as many as 11 at a time! The pooches all apparently ate out of silver bowls and were perfumed with Miss Dior. At $1,680 the collars seemed like good value, particularly the one with the tag engraved; ‘I belong to the Duke of Windsor’.
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here’s nothing like a royal event to boost the country’s morale and with the Queen’s popularity riding high, the Chinese kilns have already roared into action to satisfy the demand for cheap souvenirs. I usually meet any valuations of royal memorabilia with apprehension, envisaging shelf upon shelf of mass-produced near worthless knick-knacks. The question I’m often asked is what royal souvenirs are worth buying? My advice is to look for the rare and unpredictable, or even downright bizarre. Stalwarts of the market are an 1838 Queen Victoria Swansea coronation mug, or an exceedingly rare George III 1809 Jubilee mug priced at around £500 and £1,000 at auction respectively. But I tend to favour the more unusual items. In 2008, Hanson’s Auctioneers in Derbyshire sold a pair of Queen Victoria’s 50-inch bloomers for a staggering £5,000, while a pair of stockings in the same sale sold for £8,000. Although this is much higher than would normally be expected, it illustrates the strong demand for personally-related royal objects. In 2010, the famous
74 ANTIQUE COLLECTING
Above Five dog collars
worn by pugs belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor sold in 2008, image courtesy of Bonhams Above right Hanson’s
Emma Carberry models Queen Victoria’s bloomers, image courtesy of Hanson’s
King’s handkerchief My personal favourites tend to be a little bit more macabre so I was rather taken by a royal handkerchief in 2005. However, far from being used to blow a royal nose, it was employed to cover the face of the corpse of William IV. Sold with a similar handkerchief and ‘some sweet herbs taken out of the King’s coffin’ this might have been just a little bit too odd for most collectors and sold for a very reasonable £450. Who knows what gems the current monarchy might throw up? God save the Queen! Marc Allum is an author, lecturer and specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. For more details go to www.marcallum.co.uk
‘‘The dress worn by Kate Middleton at the St Andrew’s University charity fashion show in 2002 was also sold by Kerry Taylor auctions for £78,000’
