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Queen Alexandra’s Mersey tunnel bracelet, 1886
Posted by Knightship on February 18, 2021, 8:34 pm
I have never noticed this bracelet before. Alexandra received it in commemoration of the opening of the Mersey tunnel in 1886. The use of enamel and diamond to create the depth of the tunnel sounds interesting.
I thought maybe such a unique bracelet would be in the RCT, but I don’t get any search results. Are there any photos of Alexandra or other members of the BRF wearing this special bracelet?
Another great find, I wonder if the vaults are that large that it could actually get lost in all the other items. But I was made to understand that gifts received by royals in the past did not have to be necessarily declared and or held in trust for the nation and could have been passed onto others as gifts. So' could it be that certain items/ gifts may have passed out of royal hands over time.
Regards,
Dave.
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I have never noticed this bracelet before. Alexandra received it in commemoration of the opening of the Mersey tunnel in 1886. The use of enamel and diamond to create the depth of the tunnel sounds interesting.
I thought maybe such a unique bracelet would be in the RCT, but I don’t get any search results. Are there any photos of Alexandra or other members of the BRF wearing this special bracelet?
What an interesting find Knightship!! I am amazed!
This gift from the builders of the Mersey Tunnel is obviously a major item and, yet, we have never heard of it previously. So, thank you Knightship for such an interesting find and for extending our knowledge of Queen Alexandra's jewels.
I have not had much time to hunt for additional information (and may not for some time to come) but on a short hunt today I did find the two items below.
The first is, I think, a copy of the item you posted. It comes from the Illustrated London News 13 March 1886. The typeface and text is the same and no other newspaper of the era had this precise report.
A slightly more informative description of the bracelet was given in the Yorkshire Post press item.
So far, I have not found reports of Queen Alexandra wearing this jewel, but as the Queen habitually wore jewels which were presented to her (and most were noted in the media) I have no doubt that, in time to come, some of us will find a reference to this very interesting bracelet.
I am not surprised that, so far, no mention of this bracelet has been found on the Royal Collection site, as I very much doubt if all items in their collection have been catalogued. Secondly, it is possible that this jewel was dismantled in the Queen's lifetime, or inherited by some family member and so is no longer part of the royal collection.
on February 18, 2021, 8:34 pm
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