|
| |
Douglas-Hamilton Seal
|
|
|
THE LADY MARY DOUGLAS-HAMILTON (1850-1922) DESK SEAL
A LATE
19TH-CENTURY ROCK CRYSTAL AND MULTI-GEM SET DESK SEAL
Sold at auction
for £13,860 in May 2023
Description
the facetted
tapered rock crystal handle with engraved M and earl's coronet engraved
to terminal, the applied metal mount formed as an earl's coronet with
pearl spikes, a set border of diamonds alternating with emeralds, rubies
and sapphires, the neck with a rope twist border above a pierced border,
the rock crystal matrix engraved with the arms for Furst Festetics von
Tolna (1850-1933) and Lady Mary Douglas Hamilton
Dimensions
Length: 95mm, matrix diameter: 21mm
Note:
This seal was to
commemorate the marriage of Lady Mary-Victoria Douglas-Hamilton
(1850-1922) and Tasziló II Festetics de Tolna (born Festetics), Prince,
(1850 – 1933).
Born to the 11th Duke of Hamilton and Marie Amelie
Elisabeth Karoline Prinzessin von Baden, Lady Mary-Victoria was the
youngest of three, with two elder brothers. The eldest brother who would
go on to become the 12th Duke and marry Lady Mary Montagu.
Lady
Mary Victoria’s first marriage was to Prince Albert, the heir apparent
of Monaco. The Grimaldi family looked for an alliance with British
royalty and aristocracy and the Douglas-Hamilton family was suggested as
the highest-ranking peer in Scotland. Their marriage in 1869 followed
quickly with a son, Louis who would become Louis II and grandfather of
Prince Rainier III. However, after a couple of years Lady Mary grew to
dislike Monaco and their marriage was finally annulled in January 1880
which allowed the marriage to Tasziló II Festetics a Hungarian count in
June of 1880.
Following their wedding in Florence they set up
home in Budapest with four children, their eldest Maria would marry into
the Von Furstenburg family. As Lady Mary-Victoria’s mother was Princess
Marie of Baden Baden there had always been a strong German connection.
Prince Louis had been with his mother for his formative years but was
obliged to return for Royal training at the age of 11. It would seem
that he also did not enjoy living with his father and left for studies
at the Saint-Cyr Military Academy and then onto the Foreign Legion.
The delicate nature of this seal reflects the true love story of
Lady Mary-Victoria and Tasziló, purported to be a wedding gift from
Tassilo’s sister and brother-in-law, Gina and Zdenko which accounts for
the intertwined Ms to the top of the seal.
Lady Mary-Victoria
passed away in 1922 and Tasziló ten years later, but they are both
buried together on the Festetics estate. |
Source
Sources for this article include:
Lyon & Turnbull, auctioneers
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
|
|
