#Royal #textiles #skip #kings #ransom #Antique #Collecting
Royal textiles made for a king’s coronation in 1937 – found in a skip – have stunned auction experts after turning up in New Zealand.
The two unique, museum-quality panels bear royal emblems and ‘VIII’, indicating they were made for the abandoned coronation of King Edward VIII in 1937. It’s thought the red, white and blue cotton samples were intended for use as drapes and hangings in public buildings to mark the occasion, according to Hansons Auctioneers which made the find. But the event was abandoned when the king chose American divorcee Wallis Simpson over the Crown and abdicated.
The textiles were rescued from a skip in Reading, Berkshire, 63 years ago by Terry Nash. At the time he was 17 and helping his mum, a member of the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service.
Terry, 80, a retired lawyer who lived in Surrey and Reading before emigrating to Auckland, New Zealand, in 1970, said: “On a rainy day in 1961 I was helping my mum with some of the more odious tasks of her voluntary work. She was working in a regional clothing store in Government offices at Whiteknights Park. She asked me to help her clear away reject clothing, deemed so because it was poor quality, dirty or unsuitable for baling up for shipment to refugees in countries that had suffered natural disasters.
“While standing in the skip I spotted a binder among heaps of old clothing. I pulled it out for closer inspection, thinking it was a wallpaper sample book. But no, inside were cloth samples and not any old textiles – royal cloth samples. I unclamped the two Edward VIII samples and returned the remainder of the ledger cover boards to the skip.
“My mother told me they were from the British Cloth Register which had been maintained by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Perhaps pressure on space led to them being transported to Whiteknights.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the panels. They came to New Zealand with me. I had them framed and shielded them from sunlight. Later, I made enquiries with the V&A and discovered the ledgers were most likely intended to be returned to the Public Records Archive in London. However, regional office archivists may have disposed of them by mistake. The V&A told me, ‘The books you describe sound like the Registered Designs from the Patent Office held by the Public Record Office’.
“It’s likely the samples were woven cotton manufactured by Joseph Bridge & Co Ltd in Manchester. The V&A could not locate identical samples but has one similar textile. That means the panels I found are unique.”
Notty Hornblower, Hansons Auctioneers’ period textiles consultant, said: “I was amazed to hear how Terry had discovered this beautiful coronation memorabilia in a skip all those years ago. The samples are beautiful.
“We may never know their full history, or how they got into the skip, but they appear to be unique survivors from the abandoned 1937 coronation. The guide price is £300 but, with the right bidders, a zero may be added to that.”
The woven panels spark memories of a royal drama that gripped the world. On January 20, 1936, Edward VIII, later known as the Duke of Windsor, became king and preparations went into overdrive for his coronation on May 12, 1937.
But Edward caused a constitutional crisis. In 1930 he fell in love with Mrs Wallis Simpson. Concern about Edward’s private life grew in government, particularly when Mrs Simpson obtained a divorce in 1936. Edward was set on marrying her. Being twice-divorced she was not acceptable as Queen. Edward abdicated in December 1936 and his brother George VI ascended to the throne.
Notty said: “The abdication left many businesses with pointless coronation memorabilia. Commemorative souvenirs had been produced, stamps designed and coins minted that ended up being melted down.
“In January 1936 the Post Office was preparing ‘Accession issue’ stamps featuring the king. His abdication halted all design work. Australia produced a commemorative glass tumbler and a two-penny red stamp. Despite the destruction of stock, a signed corner block of six of the two-penny stamps survived and achieved $123,000 (£96,000) at auction in 2015. Canada destroyed its Edward VIII stamp proofs and schools had to retrieve commemorative mugs and plates from pupils and replace them with ones designed for the new king and queen.”
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “Though Edward threw away the Crown for love, Hansons recently uncovered a photo of him in full royal regalia worthy of a coronation. The picture was taken in his garden in France with Wallis at his side. It was as if they were playing at being kings and queens. Perhaps he sometimes regretted that abandoned coronation.”
Auction: The royal samples will be offered in Hansons Auctioneers’ September 26-27 Fine Art Auction.
