Queen Victoria SIGNED INSCRIBED 1875 Book Life Of Prince Consort Albert (Vol. I)
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:16364772 | Signed by: Queen Victoria |
| Original/Reproduction: Original | Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom |
This is an 1875 first edition book that has been signed and inscribed by Queen Victoria (1819–1901).
Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her
death in 1901. As Queen, her royal name wasVictoria Regina (Regina is the Latin word for queen; Rex is the Latin word for king).
In 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India. Thus, her royal name
became Victoria Regina Imperatrix,... which is Latin for Victoria, Queen and Empress.
Victoria frequently used her royal initials VRor VRI when she signed letters, documents, and other items. Her inscription in this book is signed VR, as she had not yet taken thetitle Empress of India when she signed it.
This book is the first of a set of five volumes
of a comprehensive biography of Victoria's
husband, Prince Albert (1819-1861).
The five books were originally published from
1875 to 1880. The untimely death of Albert at
an early age left Victoria devastated; she went
into mourning, and wore black for the rest of her life.
The author of this five volume biography was
Theodore Martin (1816-1909). The writinVRf
these five books took many years to complete.
This was a very important project to the Queen,
who wanted Albert to be properly commemorated.
As each volume was completed and printed,
the publisher sent multiple copies to the Queen,
who then inscribed and signed them as gifts
to her friends, family members, and leading
public figures.
I am selling a complete set of the five volumes, with
each volume signed and inscribed by the Queen.
PLEASE NOTE: each volume is being sold separately.
Each of these volumes bears a gift inscription to
the same woman, Marianne Skerrett (1793-1887).
Marianne Skerrett was the head dresser for the Queen.
She was responsible for selecting, purchasing, and
mending Victoria’s wardrobe. She supervised a large staff of hairdressers, dressmakers, and seamstresses who kept the royal wardrobe in good repair. She served the Queen for twenty-five years, from 1837 to 1862.
Over the years she became something like the Queen's secretary and personal assistant, helping her in a myriad of ways beyond the realm of clothing. She and the Queen became personally very close, as they shared common interests in books, paintings, and animals. Both women were very intelligent, and both of them were multilingual. They remained friends for the rest of Marianne's life.Thus, their association lasted for a total of fifty years.
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THE LIFE OF
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
THE PRINCE CONSORT
Volume One
by Theodore Martin
First edition
published in 1875 by Smith, Elder, & Co., London
This is a hardback book, about 9" by 6",
516 pages, with five b/w illustrations.
The Queen's handwritten inscription reads as follows:
To
Marianne Skerrett
from
her affect.
VR
Christmas 1874
NOTES:
(1) "affect." is Victoria's abbreviation for "affectionate".
(2) This book was one of the first to be printed. It was oneof a batch of volumes that were delivered to the Queen prior to the official date of its publication, in order that shecould make use of them as Christmas presents. The date of the inscription is Christmas 1874; however, the official date of publication of the first edition is 1875.
(3) There is an inkstamp at the top of the page
that has the inscription (see photos).
(4) Of the five signed volumes that I am selling, this is one of only two to have a Christmas gift inscription.
(5) Queen Victoria has been portrayed in many films and television programs. An ongoing British television series titled VICTORIA has been in production since 2016. The series includes a character that is based on Marianne Skerrett; that character is portrayed by actress Nell Hudson.
Overall, the book is in fair condition, with the back inner hinge broken, and the front inner hinge badly broken.
The cloth on the back cover is wrinkled, and the pages have occasional blemishes and minor foxing.
This is an ex-library book, with several library inkstamps, markings, and labels. There is a library bookplate on the inside front cover, with a faded "WITHDRAWN" inkstamp.
Please check out the photos for more information.
Shipping within the USA is FREE via USPS Priority Mail.
PLEASE NOTE: shipment within the USA will
require a signature upon delivery.
International shipment will be via the eBay
Global Shipping program.
Please contact us if you wish to make other
arrangements regarding shipment.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
