Queen Alexandra (1844-1925)

[basilforever]

The BERTIE ring wasn't her wedding ring.  Here's what I wrote on the other thread (info from the Times):

'The wedding ring...is of plain gold, is remarkably massive, and its accompanying keeper is set with six precious stones, selected and arranged so that the initial letters of their names shall form the word 'bertie', an affectionate variation of 'Albert'. The stones of which this happy combination is effected are a beryl, an emerald, a ruby, a turquoise, a jacynth, and another emerald.'

The BERTIE ring was a present from Bertie but it wasn't her actual wedding ring but an additional ring that Bertie, unlike other grooms I've read of, chose to give to her. Still, it seems that it was probably sentimental enough that it could be buried with her.

Oh yes, that's right. It wasn't the wedding ring, it was the keeper ring, but I suppose she wore them both together most of the time.

She didn't marry Eddy, the exhibition is a celebration of the weddings. I don't know what happened to her engagement ring but it doesn't seem that she held on to too many mementoes of the time. Since she and Eddy weren't a love match, though they were fond enough of each other, there really wasn't a reason to. Perhaps she gave the ring to his mother?

Eddy didn't propose to May at Sheen Lodge, he proposed at Luton Hoo.

Yes, I know it is just about weddings. But to kind of include some details about May's betrothal to Eddy would have been extra special and interesting. Still, maybe we will see something like that in another exhibition. Her engagement ring and other mementoes of that time, would have been held on to by May I'm sure. She probably put them away somewhere..
Because May was quite fond of Eddy, and she felt sadness at his tragic death, I'm sure that was reason enough to hold on to those things, as well as there precious value of course. That's right they became engaged at Luton Hoo, I temporarily forgot! 

[TampaBay]

Who owns Luton Hoo now?  The Duke of Abercrombie?

TampaBay

[Kimberly]

Its now an up-market hotel (well, almost. It is scheduled to open in the Autumn).

[basilforever]

Luton Hoo has a very interesting history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luton_Hoo#19th_century
Yet another grand house once owned by the Butes.

I saw it on ''Antiques Roadshow" and it was very beautiful.

I don't quite understand what the Royals were doing there, I must have read it, but I forgot.  If I went there, it would indeed be a special place for me, because I would be thinking about Eddy's marriage proposal to May.

WHO is the Duke of Abercrombie?

[grandduchessella]

There was a shooting party at Luton Hoo in early December 1891. Mr de Falbe, the resident (owner?) was the Danish Minister to Britain and thus had contacts with the Princess of Wales and other members of the royal family. May and her family had visited there many times before and it was a popular destination in the summer for tennis parties and casual get-togethers. In the Dec 1891 party, Eddy was part of the gathering--most likely to facillitate the proposal since it was heavily gossiped-about in the family. The day following their arrival, Eddy proposed after dinner. They next day they telegraphed relatives and Eddy went shooting and played cards together that night. The day after that, they were photographed and Eddy left for London to notify his parents in person (though they'd been telegraphed and responded) as well as receive the sanction from QV. Once it had all seemed 'in the bag', Eddy seems to have jumped the gun a bit since some relatives apparently didn't expect the news quite so quickly and the news had begun to leak out.

The Falbes took a photo of the boudoir that Eddy proposed in and sent it to QM who pasted it in her photo albums--I really wish there was another publication of her albums, the one published had so few early photos. In 1918, QM, GV and some others visited Lady Wernher's convalescent home for officers which was located at Luton Hoo. QM noted that it was the first time she'd been there since her engagement 27 years prior. She noted that the house was so altered that it was 'difficult to make out where the former rooms were'.

[royal_netherlands]

I think it's time (agian ) fore some good old fashion picture of Alix, Bertie and Minnie.
A beatifull portrait of the three together, just wonderful!!!!!

RN

[grandduchessella]

Queen Alexandra driving through London and suffering a flat tire in the early 1920s:

[Grace]

I absolutely love this photo - thanks GDE for posting - the way Alix is peering over the side to see what's going on!    I really can't imagine many other royal ladies of the time doing this, can you?  No security risk in those days, but a great opportunity for those who happened to be in the street at the time to see royalty close up.  

[grandduchessella]

You're welcome Grace. I love looking through the old magazines of the period--you get so many great candid photos in addition to the regular posed ones. I just grabbed about 300 photos over the last month so I'm going to be a busy scanner--I figured people would like this addition though.  I wonder if anyone dared go up or they were just in awe or stayed at a respectful distance--the accompanying blurb said it took about an hour to repair the flat.

[Grace]

I wonder if anyone dared go up or they were just in awe or stayed at a respectful distance--the accompanying blurb said it took about an hour to repair the flat.

They seem to be at a respectable distance in this photo, but I wonder if Alix stayed in the car during the whole repair job?  If so, I think she would have smiled and waved at the people and possibly that would have encouraged them to come over to her.  Of course, she was pretty much stone deaf by this time and her eyesight was not good either. 

[Alexander1917]

I don't think he gave her a whole dress, just a veil of Belgain and lace trimmings.  Queen Victoria only changed the veil. 

-Duke of NJ

in "FIVE GOLD RINGS" (book going with the exhibit. at windsor) say that the lace from King Leopold could not be used because it was not British.
I think it was enough material to make the dress design she wore, but the dress she finely wore was trimmed with Honiton lace instead.

[grandduchessella]

We've discussed this dress and jewelry before but I just got an ID on the occasion. It was from the Drawing Room held in June 1896. The royal women were in black because of the recent death of Prince Henry of Battenberg.

[Duke of New Jersey]

That is my all time favorite picture of Queen Alexandra, the whole series looks nice.

I always thought and read that the photo was taken in 1887 for the Silver Jubilee, that series of Alexandra pictures and the one with the Queen in the middle and Bertie and Alexandra on either side of her. 

I could be very, very wrong but Alexandra (and Bertie and Queen Victoria) look too young in the photo to be taken in 1896. 

The often mistaken,
-Duke of NJ

[grandduchessella]

I went back to the issue and the occasion could be different. The illustration doesn't match what was written. I had always thought the photo was from the Golden Jubilee--is this what you were referring to, there wasn't a Silver Jubilee--but wondered about the mourning colors.

As to the Drawing Room, it was a big deal since they weren't very frequent. This one was held by Alexandra in place of QV but she had a large group of royals to help her out, including the Duke of Coburg, the GD of Meckleburg-Stretliz, the Duchess of Albany, Prince & Princess Christian and Princess Helena Victoria.

[Duke of New Jersey]

I had always thought the photo was from the Golden Jubilee--is this what you were referring to, there wasn't a Silver Jubilee--but wondered about the mourning colors.

Thank you GDE, I meant Golden Jubilee.  See how wrong I always am!!



In my opinion they all look too young for it to be 1896, but I could be wrong.

-Duke of NJ