Description:

EDWARD VII
(1841 - 1910) King of Great Britain and Ireland, eldest son of Queen Victoria who because of his indiscretions was kept in the dark concerning matters of state until he succeeded to the throne following his mother's death. His reign was marked by more openness and visibility of the royal family. Scarce, lengthy A.L.S. as King "Edward R." 4pp. 8vo., Balmoral Castle, Sept. 18, 1902 ["1902" penciled in another hand], to his former mistress Daisy, Countess of Warwick, a great Edwardian beauty and social activist. Writing four years after the demise of their affair, and in the final year of the Boer War, he pens in his legendary near-illegible hand, in part: "...So many thanks for your kind long letter...It would I can inform you have given me infinite pleasure to visit yr old house again...but there are some memories which prevent me from coming & I will explain them to you the next time I have the pleasure of seeing you...You are instead working hard at the good works you have been administering in the Country...So glad you got good accounts of Guy - And I hope that he will someday rejoining his Regiment. Lord Kitchener is staying here, & is always a most interesting personage...The young Duc D'Alba is with him...". Edward's affair with Daisy ended in 1898, when Edward discovered that she was also involved with Lord Charles Beresford. An inveterate courtesan for powerful men, Daisy's downfall was brought about by her lack of discretion. So notorious were her relationships that she was nicknamed "The Babbling Brooke". In fact, the famed song "Daisy, Daisy" was named after her. After Edward's death, she attempted to blackmail his son George V, but this attempt was thwarted, and she died in poverty. General Horatio H. Kitchener (1850-1916), was known for his invasion of Sudan. He annihilated al-Mahdi's army at Omdurman, and reoccupied Khartoum. Superbly framed in a six-opening ensemble to show the entire letter, recto and verso, with a large color portrait at center. Framed in gilt and in fine condition.

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May 14, 2009 10:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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