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Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification?? Posted by Beth on January 20, 2022, 6:27 pm Does anyone have information (or even guesses) about the bracelets worn by Queen Alexandra in the images below? In the first set of photos it seems to me that, on her right wrist, she had a brooch pinned to a ribbon. What do others think? This photo is obviously from the same sitting, but from a different angle.

Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification?? Posted by Eiriksn on January 21, 2022, 7:31 am, in reply to "Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification??" There is some information about it on Royal Magazin, where it is mentioned that it was a wedding gift from The ladies of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It was made of diamonds and rubies. For me it seems to be some sort of buckle (?) bracelet, which apparently was quite popular around that time. There is one example in the Danish collection as well, made out of diamonds and rubies, with a band of gold. There is a picture of it in Bjarne Steen Jensen’s book. If I recall correctly it belonged to Queen Louise (born princess of Sweden) and are part of the jewels she left to be passed from monarch to monarch.

Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification?? Posted by Knightship on January 21, 2022, 8:58 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification??" I don’t understand how the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight, as described in several 1863 news reports, could be a match with the bracelet worn by Queen Alexandra, but maybe I’m reading it wrong. Previous Message There is some information about it on Royal Magazin, where it is mentioned that it was a wedding gift from The ladies of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It was made of diamonds and rubies. For me it seems to be some sort of buckle (?) bracelet, which apparently was quite popular around that time. There is one example in the Danish collection as well, made out of diamonds and rubies, with a band of gold. There is a picture of it in Bjarne Steen Jensen’s book. If I recall correctly it belonged to Queen Louise (born princess of Sweden) and are part of the jewels she left to be passed from monarch to monarch.

Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification?? Posted by Beth on January 21, 2022, 3:31 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification??" Thanks Eiriksn and Knightship. This cannot possibly be the gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight which I posted about in 2019 https://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/msg/1565817537.html Apart from the fact that, as Knightship said, it doesn't match the press descriptions from 1863. The salient part of the reports is that it has a cross in the centre which was composed of one large ruby and 4 brilliants, the cross being supported on either side by the county rose. The bracelet from the photos I posted. More significant, however, is the date when the photos were taken: May 1862. The Ladies of Hampshire did not present their gift until 28 June 1863. Apart from the dating of Mary 1862 supplied by the Royal Collection for the photos, in them Queen Alexandra is referred to as Princess of Denmark, indicating that this was prior to her marriage. The photo below also has the year. The photos from this sitting were taken in Copenhagen in May 1862 by a Danish photographer Georg Emil Hansen. The Royal Collection site notes that one of the photos came from Queen Alexandra's albums; the other was acquired by Queen Victoria. The National Portrait gallery, UK has two lithographs made from photos in this series. They were based on these photos and were published in the UK by Henry Graves & Co in December 1862. The lithographs are endorsed with the comment that the original photo came from the collection of "Prince Christian", Alexandra's father. The inscription on the bottom slightly enlarged. Apart from the fact that the bracelet cannot possibly be the gift of the Ladies of Hampshire, I am now even more convinced that this is a brooch pinned onto a heavy, embroidered ribbon. When I looked more carefully at the image, I realised that the brooch is pinned slightly off centre. It also seems to me that what can be seen on the back of Alexandra's arm is ribbon where threads have been pulled to make a fringe. If this was a gold fringe, the weight of the metal would make the individual elements fall downwards against each other.

Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight Posted by Knightship on January 21, 2022, 8:18 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification??" The news descriptions of the bracelet gift to Queen Alexandra from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight in 1863, could possibly be a bracelet now worn by Princess Astrid. * The band is of solid gold (but we can't see a "mail" pattern). * The centre cross is composed of a centre ruby with four diamonds. * The cross is supported by a five-petal ruby flower with a centre diamond - we can partly see the same flower on the other side of the cross (the rose of Hampshire has five petals). This is the best photo I have, but Astrid has worn the bracelet several times since the 1960s. Previous Message Thanks Eiriksn and Knightship. This cannot possibly be the gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight which I posted about in 2019 https://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/msg/1565817537.html Apart from the fact that, as Knightship said, it doesn't match the press descriptions from 1863. The salient part of the reports is that it has a cross in the centre which was composed of one large ruby and 4 brilliants, the cross being supported on either side by the county rose. The bracelet from the photos I posted. More significant, however, is the date when the photos were taken: May 1862 . The Ladies of Hampshire did not present their gift until 28 June 1863 . Apart from the dating of Mary 1862 supplied by the Royal Collection for the photos, in them Queen Alexandra is referred to as Princess of Denmark, indicating that this was prior to her marriage. The photo below also has the year. The photos from this sitting were taken in Copenhagen in May 1862 by a Danish photographer Georg Emil Hansen. The Royal Collection site notes that one of the photos came from Queen Alexandra's albums; the other was acquired by Queen Victoria. The National Portrait gallery, UK has two lithographs made from photos in this series. They were based on these photos and were published in the UK by Henry Graves & Co in December 1862 . The lithographs are endorsed with the comment that the original photo came from the collection of "Prince Christian", Alexandra's father. The inscription on the bottom slightly enlarged. Apart from the fact that the bracelet cannot possibly be the gift of the Ladies of Hampshire, I am now even more convinced that this is a brooch pinned onto a heavy, embroidered ribbon. When I looked more carefully at the image, I realised that the brooch is pinned slightly off centre. It also seems to me that what can be seen on the back of Alexandra's arm is ribbon where threads have been pulled to make a fringe. If this was a gold fringe, the weight of the metal would make the individual elements fall downwards against each other.

Re: Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight Posted by Beth on January 21, 2022, 9:24 pm, in reply to "Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight" Congratulations!! I think you are right Knightship. Well spotted! It fits the description in many, many ways. I wish we could get a photo with higher resolution. But the central ruby with the 4 diamonds and the supporting roses all seem to be in the bracelet worn by Princess Astrid. I wonder what was meant by a "mail pattern band" Does anyone know? What a wonderful end to my day!!

Re: Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight Posted by GalP on January 21, 2022, 11:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight" Very interesting. I have always wondered about that bracelet of Princess Astrid. GalP

Re: Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight Posted by Knightship on January 21, 2022, 11:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight" The bracelet was on view, but I can’t find a sketch. The gold bracelet, set with jewels, purchased at a cost of £500 by the Ladies of Hampshire as a present for the Princess of Wales, has been on view at the Guildhall during the week. It is of a very substantial, not to say heavy, pattern (which is styled mail), the face being ornamented with rubies and diamonds, set in the form of the County rose, the central ornament being the celebrated Wykeham Cross, the fact of Wykeham ever having any peculiar badge of that kind being, till this bracelet was made. Hampshire Advertiser, 27 June 1863. Previous Message Congratulations!! I think you are right Knightship. Well spotted! It fits the description in many, many ways. I wish we could get a photo with higher resolution. But the central ruby with the 4 diamonds and the supporting roses all seem to be in the bracelet worn by Princess Astrid. I wonder what was meant by a "mail pattern band" Does anyone know? What a wonderful end to my day!!

Re: Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight Posted by J-F on January 22, 2022, 11:53 am, in reply to "Re: Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight" Wow, what a find Knightship ! A -mail- probably came from the French word -maille- meaning -mesh- So, I think it referred to a gold mesh bracelet. I find this other photo of Princess Astrid wearing maybe the same bracelet (we can se its back side with no stone) It has a mesh design. J-F Previous Message The bracelet was on view, but I can’t find a sketch. The gold bracelet, set with jewels, purchased at a cost of £500 by the Ladies of Hampshire as a present for the Princess of Wales, has been on view at the Guildhall during the week. It is of a very substantial, not to say heavy, pattern (which is styled mail), the face being ornamented with rubies and diamonds, set in the form of the County rose, the central ornament being the celebrated Wykeham Cross, the fact of Wykeham ever having any peculiar badge of that kind being, till this bracelet was made. Hampshire Advertiser, 27 June 1863. Previous Message Congratulations!! I think you are right Knightship. Well spotted! It fits the description in many, many ways. I wish we could get a photo with higher resolution. But the central ruby with the 4 diamonds and the supporting roses all seem to be in the bracelet worn by Princess Astrid. I wonder what was meant by a "mail pattern band" Does anyone know? What a wonderful end to my day!!

Re: Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight Posted by Beth on January 22, 2022, 7:21 pm, in reply to "Re: Re. the bracelet gift from the Ladies of Hampshire and the Isles of Wight" I think that you are correct J-F. I found a different photo from another event and thought that it was the unadorned side of the bracelet. Some other occasions where I think Princess Astrid might have been wearing the bracelet.

Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification?? Posted by Bryce on January 22, 2022, 6:59 am, in reply to "Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification??" Seeing the raised and perhaps pierced nature of the "brooch", I wonder if it is some sort of scent holder. It may seem old fashioned now but there were many "ill smells" in centuries past and ladies would often have scented handkerchiefs of viles of sweet smells to offset the nasty ones. Just a possibility???

Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification?? Posted by Knightship on January 22, 2022, 9:16 am, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification??" What a brilliant idea! It could be a vinaigrette bracelet. Or a vinaigrette brooch/pendant on a ribbon. These were often made of gold or silver, studded with various gemstones. Previous Message Seeing the raised and perhaps pierced nature of the "brooch", I wonder if it is some sort of scent holder. It may seem old fashioned now but there were many "ill smells" in centuries past and ladies would often have scented handkerchiefs of viles of sweet smells to offset the nasty ones. Just a possibility???

Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification?? Posted by Beth on January 22, 2022, 7:09 pm, in reply to "Re: Queen Alexandra. Bracelet identification??" What an interesting way to wear perfume!! Many thanks for the insight Bryce.

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