Old Royal Memorabilia

[beso]

An elderly relative has an original menu from His Majesty's Yacht Victoria and Albert dated 30 August 1907. It was originally acquired by her Father-in-Law who worked as a cabin steward aboard the yacht for many years,

It has thirteen signatures added. We have determined some of them but any alternative suggestions would be most welcome.

"Alex": Queen Consort to King Edward VII
http://en.wikipedia.o.../Alexandra_of_Denmark
(as reported to my relative by her Father-In-Law)

"Charlotte Knollys": Private Secretary to the Queen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Knollys

"Colin Keppel": Aide-de-Camp to Edward VII
http://en.wikipedia.o.../Colin_Richard_Keppel

"Victoria": Possibly Princess Victoria, later Queen of Sweden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_of_Baden

"Count Tolstoy": Although Leo Tolstoy was still alive I think it is more likely his son who became an ardent monarchist living in exile in Sweden after the revolution.
http://en.wikipedia.o...i/Lev_Lvovich_Tolstoy

(continued)

[jno]

It might conceivably have been this Victoria, the king's niece, though her name is spelt differently

http://en.wikipedia.o...s_Viktoria_of_Prussia

[beso]

Thanks jno.

I don't have an image of the menu but am relyinging on my hand written copy of the signature forms. It seems to be the letter c as there are two small characters after the "V" though this is followed by a very stylised "t" where the rise and descent strokes are separated and looped over at the top.

[wolf63]

Have you tried it from a different angle - where was the yacht at this time?

See if you can find any news items in the Google news archives using the name of the yacht or names of any 'known' passengers.

I tried looking but my brain usually shuts down when I am tired.

Good luck .

[beso]

There are many references in old newspapers to the King and Queen being accompanied by Princess Victoria. However I cannot determine who she would be.

Queen Victoria had several grandaughters called Victoria. Victoria Eugene (Ena) became Queen of Spain. She is mentioned in the folowing article in 1906 just after she married.

Another unmarried "Victoria Princess of England" is also mentioned and I have no doubt this is the Victoria I am looking for. But who is she?

"Of Queen Victoria's 21 granddaughters but four now remain unmarried. These are Princess Victoria of England, Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg, Princess .Patricia of Connaught, and Princess Victoria of Schleswig 'Holstein;

http://newspapers.nla...2princess+victoria%22

[beso]

This would be Princess Victoria. Never married hence fairly obscure.

http://en.wikipedia.o...of_the_United_Kingdom

[jno]

yes, that sounds possible. She'd have been PV of England (or the UK) until she married into another royal house, presumably.

I dare say Keppel was some sort of relation of Alice Keppel, the king's best known mistress and Camilla's great great grandmother.

[ABerrant]

As an aside, it appears that Royal whim nearly did for the Royal Yacht at her launch...

http://en.wikipedia.o...ctoria_and_Albert_III

[beso]

Alice was Colin's aunt by marriage.
Colin Keppel's paternal uncle, George Keppel, was Alice Keppel's husband.

[ABerrant]

Colin's paternal uncle was General George Keppel, 6th Earl of Albemarle, grandfather of Lt.-Col. Hon. George Keppel, husband of Alice.

Thus George and Colin were first cousins once removed, i.e. Colin's grandfather William Charles Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle, was George's great-grandfather.