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The mystery of Queen Alexandra's fleurs de lys
Posted by Beth on March 21, 2021, 9:02 pm
In Christie's. The jewellery archives revealed Vincent Meylan drew attention to a fleur de lys brooch which had been auctioned by Christie's in May 1937.
According to the documentation held by Christie's, which was also reported in the newspapers of the day, the brooch had formerly formed part of Queen Alexandra's crown. The reports identified this as the crown used for the Queen's coronation.
Queen Alexandra's coronation crown.
In the 1937 media reports the owner was identified only as a Lady of title. Vincent Meylan was able to reveal that the lady was Lady Glenarthur, a friend of Queen Alexandra. That knowledge allows for the inference that perhaps Queen Alexandra had given the jewel to her friend, perhaps as a reward for her personal service to the Queen or service to the country.
By the time Vincent Meylan's book was published, I had already found a reference in the media to a Fleur de Lys brooch, once part of Queen Alexandra's coronation crown, which Sir George Cooper, who died in 1940 directed was, amongst other items, to be be made an heirloom in his family.
At the time of the release of the book on Christie's, I assumed that the Fleur de lys brooch mentioned by Sir George Cooper was the same one mentioned by Vincent Meylan as having been auctioned by Christie's. As the knowledge of a fleur de lys belonging to Queen Alexandra was then in publication, I did not mention what I had found, as I assumed that the two jewels were in fact the same item. I did not think anything of the short time span between the Christie's auction (1937) and the death of Sir George Cooper (1940), even though at that time I also had the will of Sir George Cooper, which I had skimmed through. Originally, my eye concentrated only on the list of jewels which he had made heirlooms. (There were two really significant jewels)
In his book, Christie's, Vincent Meylan puts forward a very convincing argument about the origin of the jewel auctioned by Christie's in 1937. Vincent Meylan concluded that the fleur de lys auctioned in 1937 was not part of the coronation crown of Queen Alexandra, but rather it was one of the fleurs de lys from Queen Alexandra's regal circlet made circa 1910 when the Queen lost access to Queen Victoria's Regal circlet.
Queen Alexandra wearing the new regal circlet in 1913 at the wedding of Princess Arthur of Connaught.
Recently, I re-read the will of Sir George Cooper, and I noticed the date of his will.
It was April 1923., so some 14 years before the Christie's auction of the fleur de lys from Lady Glenarthur.
This proves that we are dealing with two separate fleur de lys.
Sir George Cooper's will clearly identified the fleur de lys as "The diamond fleur de lys from Queen Alexandra's crown brought from Carringtons."
In my mind this raises interesting questions, not the least being which "crown" the fleurs de lys came from.
Were they from the coronation crown or the regal circlet? Arguments can be made for either source.
One question in my mind is precisely what did the two fleurs de lys, now known to have surfaced, look like? So far I have not found any images of either of these. And what each might have looked like would prove which "crown" was being referred to, as the fleurs de lys in each are different, as will be seen below.
The date on which Sir George Cooper's will was signed proves that at least the fleur de lys brooch in his possession was purchased prior to the death of Queen Alexandra in 1925. Although Sir George Cooper's wife was involved in philanthropic ventures during the war, she was not known to be an intimate friend of Queen Alexandra, and so was perhaps unlikely to have been given a gift by Queen Alexandra. But, most importantly Sir George Cooper's will proves that he purchased the jewel from Carringtons. Unfortunately, he does not give a date.
Carringtons were commissioned to make the crown of Queen Alexandra, and it is known that most, if not all the diamonds used in that crown were hired.
At least one family in the upper echelons of society even made it known in the press that they had jewels which incorporated diamonds from Queen Alexandra's coronation crown, which proves that some diamond merchants (if not Carringtons) sold gemstones from the Queen's crown after the coronation.
I am now beginning to wonder, based on the date of the jewel Sir George Cooper made an heirloom, if perhaps Carringtons, as part of the agreement when the coronation crown was made, then sold the fleurs de lys segments and that new models with paste were attached to the frame of the crown.
I have searched but cannot find any evidence to support that thesis in the media. But in my mind, the mystery remains.
If we ever get photos of the two fleurs de lys mentioned above, there will be no doubt about which "crown" they came from. The fleur de lys in the coronation crown are very different from those in Queen Alexandra's regal circlet.
Queen Alexandra's coronation crown fleur de lys. A poor image and enlargement
A some what better image from a modern photo of the coronation crown. What can be seen is shape of the tails in the fleur de lys are the same.
A view of the fleur de lys from Queen Alexandra's regal circlet.
It would be so very interesting to see modern photos (or even old photos) of the fleurs de lys brooches said to have come from Queen Alexandra's crown. So far I have not found any photos of Lady Cooper or Lady Glenarthur wearing such a jewel.
Re: The mystery of Queen Alexandra's fleurs de lys
Great work as always Beth! I really enjoyed reading this. Would it come as a surprise that I would also now very much like to see photos of those brooches?!
To me it sounds almost like a bit of sacrilege to sell off parts of something as important, symbolic and iconic as a Crown which has been used to Crown a Queen! Though of course, the crown worn by Queen Alexandra was never THE Crown used to crown the Sovereign (but still).
Previous Message
In Christie's. The jewellery archives revealed Vincent Meylan drew attention to a fleur de lys brooch which had been auctioned by Christie's in May 1937.
According to the documentation held by Christie's, which was also reported in the newspapers of the day, the brooch had formerly formed part of Queen Alexandra's crown. The reports identified this as the crown used for the Queen's coronation.
Queen Alexandra's coronation crown.
In the 1937 media reports the owner was identified only as a Lady of title. Vincent Meylan was able to reveal that the lady was Lady Glenarthur, a friend of Queen Alexandra. That knowledge allows for the inference that perhaps Queen Alexandra had given the jewel to her friend, perhaps as a reward for her personal service to the Queen or service to the country.
By the time Vincent Meylan's book was published, I had already found a reference in the media to a Fleur de Lys brooch, once part of Queen Alexandra's coronation crown, which Sir George Cooper, who died in 1940 directed was, amongst other items, to be be made an heirloom in his family.
At the time of the release of the book on Christie's, I assumed that the Fleur de lys brooch mentioned by Sir George Cooper was the same one mentioned by Vincent Meylan as having been auctioned by Christie's. As the knowledge of a fleur de lys belonging to Queen Alexandra was then in publication, I did not mention what I had found, as I assumed that the two jewels were in fact the same item. I did not think anything of the short time span between the Christie's auction (1937) and the death of Sir George Cooper (1940), even though at that time I also had the will of Sir George Cooper, which I had skimmed through. Originally, my eye concentrated only on the list of jewels which he had made heirlooms. (There were two really significant jewels)
In his book, Christie's , Vincent Meylan puts forward a very convincing argument about the origin of the jewel auctioned by Christie's in 1937. Vincent Meylan concluded that the fleur de lys auctioned in 1937 was not part of the coronation crown of Queen Alexandra, but rather it was one of the fleurs de lys from Queen Alexandra's regal circlet made circa 1910 when the Queen lost access to Queen Victoria's Regal circlet.
Queen Alexandra wearing the new regal circlet in 1913 at the wedding of Princess Arthur of Connaught.
Recently, I re-read the will of Sir George Cooper, and I noticed the date of his will.
It was April 1923. , so some 14 years before the Christie's auction of the fleur de lys from Lady Glenarthur.
This proves that we are dealing with two separate fleur de lys.
Sir George Cooper's will clearly identified the fleur de lys as "The diamond fleur de lys from Queen Alexandra's crown brought from Carringtons."
In my mind this raises interesting questions, not the least being which "crown" the fleurs de lys came from.
Were they from the coronation crown or the regal circlet? Arguments can be made for either source.
One question in my mind is precisely what did the two fleurs de lys, now known to have surfaced, look like? So far I have not found any images of either of these. And what each might have looked like would prove which "crown" was being referred to, as the fleurs de lys in each are different, as will be seen below.
The date on which Sir George Cooper's will was signed proves that at least the fleur de lys brooch in his possession was purchased prior to the death of Queen Alexandra in 1925. Although Sir George Cooper's wife was involved in philanthropic ventures during the war, she was not known to be an intimate friend of Queen Alexandra, and so was perhaps unlikely to have been given a gift by Queen Alexandra. But, most importantly Sir George Cooper's will proves that he purchased the jewel from Carringtons. Unfortunately, he does not give a date.
Carringtons were commissioned to make the crown of Queen Alexandra, and it is known that most, if not all the diamonds used in that crown were hired.
At least one family in the upper echelons of society even made it known in the press that they had jewels which incorporated diamonds from Queen Alexandra's coronation crown, which proves that some diamond merchants (if not Carringtons) sold gemstones from the Queen's crown after the coronation.
I am now beginning to wonder, based on the date of the jewel Sir George Cooper made an heirloom, if perhaps Carringtons, as part of the agreement when the coronation crown was made, then sold the fleurs de lys segments and that new models with paste were attached to the frame of the crown.
I have searched but cannot find any evidence to support that thesis in the media. But in my mind, the mystery remains.
If we ever get photos of the two fleurs de lys mentioned above, there will be no doubt about which "crown" they came from. The fleur de lys in the coronation crown are very different from those in Queen Alexandra's regal circlet.
Queen Alexandra's coronation crown fleur de lys. A poor image and enlargement
A some what better image from a modern photo of the coronation crown. What can be seen is shape of the tails in the fleur de lys are the same.
A view of the fleur de lys from Queen Alexandra's regal circlet.
It would be so very interesting to see modern photos (or even old photos) of the fleurs de lys brooches said to have come from Queen Alexandra's crown. So far I have not found any photos of Lady Cooper or Lady Glenarthur wearing such a jewel.