Antique Menu Signed Letters Dinner King Edward VII Grand Duke Romanov Russia

  

Bibelotslondon Ltd is a UK registered company based in London Bridge dealing in ephemera and curiosities from Britain and around the world. Our diverse inventory is carefully chosen and constantly evolving. We work very hard to offer the highest quality works at competitive prices. Our inventory is listed online, and we strive to keep our website completely up to date, so our customers can easily check availability. We believe in offering clients items that are unique and rare for aficionados of the antique and collector's world.

Bibelot is a late nineteenth century word derived from the French word bel'beautiful', meaning a small item of beauty, curiosity or interest. The word ephemera is derived from the sixteenth century Greek word ephmera meaning a printed or hand written paper not meant to be retained for a long period of time. Fine antique dinner menu dated 26th March 1899 hosted by Mr and Mrs Richard Winslow in honour of the Prince of Wales later King Edward VII who was visiting Cannes. Richard Winslow who was present at the Dinner has annotated the page with a list of guests, which included Grand Duke Michael and his wife Countess Torby, the Hon Sydney Greville ADC to the Prince of Wales, Count and Countess de Raben, one time mistress to the Prince of Wales, Count and Countess de Suzannet, the Hon George and Mrs Keppel, also one time mistress to the Prince of Wales, Vicomte de Saint-Seine, Captain Philip Green, Michael Herbert and Miss Bronson, 15 guests in total. On the reverse is another dinner hosted by the Winslow's at their Villa Winslow in Cannes dated 26th February 1899 in honour Vicomte de Janze's birthday, but also in honour of the anniversary of Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich marriage to Countess Sophie de Merenberg, Countess Torby, who had married in secret in Sa nremo eight years earlier.

Winslow has annotated the page with the list of guests, which included Grand Duke Michael and Countess Torby, Hon Mr and Mrs Michael Herbert, British diplomat and ambassador, h. Is father, Sidney, was himself the younger son of George Augustus Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke, by the Russian noblewoman Countess Catherine Vorontsov. Baron de Stoeckl has also annotated the page with a military anecdote. In addition to the menu for this event there also the signed letters from five guests, including Countess Torby.

From the collection of Richard and Mary Winslow, English/American aristocrats who had the Villa Winslow in Cannes during the 1870s-1890s and were friends with aristocrats and royals from all over the world. Mary was a great beauty and had by family tradition once been a mistress of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. Sophie de Torby was the eldest daughter of Prince Nicholas William of Nassau and Natalia Alexandrovna Pushkina. She was born in Geneva, Switzerland, the first born of Prince Nicholas and Natalia Pushkina. Since the marriage of the parents was considered morganatic, it was considered inappropriate for her to have her father's title and rank. Her paternal grandparents were William, Duke of Nassau, and Pauline Princess of Württemberg, while the maternal ones were the famous Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin and Natalia Nikolaevna Goncharova. She was given the title of Countess von Merenberg. She married morganatically, on 10th March 1891, Grand Duke Michael, grandson of Nicholas I of Russia at Sanremo, Italy. Sophia was later created Countess de Torby by her uncle, Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and the title was extended to all three of her children. For contracting this marriage without permission, Emperor Alexander III of Russia, stripped Michael of his military titles and banished the couple from Russia. For some years they lived in Wiesbaden, Nassau and in Cannes. They later settled permanently in England, leasing Keele Hall in Staffordshire and later Kenwood House on the outskirts of London. He lost his fortune with the fall of the Russian monarchy in 1918. Three of his brothers were killed by the Bolsheviks, but he escaped the Russian Revolution because he was living abroad. He spent his last years living under reduced circumstances with the financial help of his son-in-law Sir Harold Wernher. They had two daughters and one son. Menu Size: 17.5 x 11 cm approx. Photos form part of the description.