ROYAL. A highly important William IV Standish made in London in1835 by Charles Fox II.

The Standish is of a large size and broad rectangular form, with upcurved sides and rounded corners. This piece stands on four cast shell feet and displays bat wing fluted mouldings where they are attached to the main body. This piece is fitted with a central cylindrical container for wax wafers, with unusual taperstick and conical extinguisher above. The wafer container stands between two cylindical inkwells, all with removable covers. The underside of the taperstick is engraved with "Presented to H.R.H. Princess Elizabeth Langravine of Hesse Homburg to William Basil Percy, Earl of Denbigh, Master of the Horse to the Queen, July 18th, 1836."

The Standish bears the Armorials of both Princess Elizabeth Langravine and the 7th Earl of Denbigh. The main body shows the Armorials of the Langrave of Hesse-Homburg, which are borne accollee with those of a differenced shield of the Arms of Great Britain and Ireland, these are below the Coronet of a Princess of the Blood Royal. The Armorials pertaining to the 7th Earl of Denbigh are also borne accollee, but with those of Mary Kitty Elizabeth, Countess of Denbigh and the eldest daughter of the 1st Earl of Denbigh. The inkwells are each engraved with the Crest and Motto of Denbigh and a German Crest of a plam tree with weights suspended from its branches, for Princess Elizabeth.

Princess Elizabeth Langravine of Hesse-Homburg was third daughter of King George III & Queen Charlotte of Great Britain. The Standish was presented to the 7th Earl of Denbigh whilst he was in the Royal Hosehold of her Majesty Queen Adelaide, as her Master of Horse, a prestigious position he held from 1834-1837. Queen Adelaide was the Queen Consort of William IV, 3rd son of George III. The Standish is in excellent condition and is of the finest quality in terms of design and production. The Fox family were considered some of the finest London silversmiths of the Georgian period, before the onset of Victorian mass production. The quality is further reinforced by the fact that it is fully marked in a total of twelve places. Items of Royal silver linked to Queen Adelaide are very rare, however items engraved with the Arms of H.R.H. Princess Elizabeth, are exceptionally rare, this being the first piece we have offered.

H.R.H. PRINCESS ELIZABETH LANDGRAVINE OF HESSE HOMBURG

Images of the Princess are shown. She was born at Buckingham House on 22nd May, 1770, the seventh child and 3rd daughter of King George III & Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The Princess's upbringing was very sheltered, however in 1812 she purchased The Priory at Old Windsor, in Berkshire, as her private residence. Although she longed for marriage, she was determined to enjoy her life by exploring and developing her varied interests and hobbies. Elizabeth was a talented artist, producing several books of her own engravings to benefit various charities. During a ball in the British Royal Court in 1814, Elizabeth got to know the German Prince Frederick of Hesse-Homburg. When Elizabeth saw the Austrian officer in his elegant Hussar;s uniform, she is supposed to have said, "If he is single, I will marry him!". Four years later, Elizabeth received a letter indicating that Frederick was asking for her hand in marriage. The wedding took place on 7th April, 1818, in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace. On 20th January, 1820, Frederick succeeded his father as the Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. Thanks to Elizabeth's dowry, and annual allowance, he was able to remodel the Palace in Homburg. She died on 10th January, 1840 and is buried in the Mausoleum of the Landgraves, Homburg, Germany.

WILLIAM FIELDING, 7TH EARL OF DENBIGH 1796-1865

William Basil Percy Fielding, 7th Earl of Denbigh GCH PC was born on 15th March, 1796 and was styled Viscount Fielding between 1799 and 1800. Fielding was the eldest son of William Fielding, Viscount Fielding and his wife Anne Catherine Powys. He was born at Berwick House (his maternal grandparents family seat) near Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and educated at Eton and Trinity College Cambridge, where he graduated MA in 1816.

In 1799, Fielding's father died and his grandfather also a year later, whereupon Fielding inherited the latter's titles. From 1830, Lord Denbigh was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to William IV. In 1833 he was made a GCH, admitted to the Privy Council and transferred to Queen Adelaide's Household, first as her Lord Chamberlain, then as the prestigious Master of the Horse. He was made DL for Warwickshire in 1825 and received an honorary degree from Oxford University as DCL in 1835. Lord Denbigh married Lady Mary Elizabeth Kitty Moreton, daughter of Thomas Reynolds-Moreton, 1st Earl of Ducie, on 8th May, 1822 and together they had eleven children. Lord Denbigh died in 1865 and his titles passed to his eldest son, Rudolph. An early photograph of the Earl is attached.

MASTER OF THE HORSE

The 7th Earl of Denbigh was Master of the Horse to Queen Adelaide. This was a very prestigious position in the Sovereign's Household. The Master of the Horse was the third dignitary of the Cort and was always a member of the ministry, a Peer and a privy councillor. All matters connected with the horses and formerly also the hounds of the Sovereign, as well as the stables and coach houses, the stud, mews and previously the kennels, are within his jurisdiction.

NEWNHAM PADDOX - SEAT OF THE EARL'S OF DENBIGH

In 1754-68 Lancelot "Capability" Brown built a large mansion house for the fifth and sixth Earls. At the same time, Brown laid out landscaped gardens. The house, which was further substantially developed in the nineteenth century, was demolished in 1952 after receiving water damage resulting from the thawing of frozen pipes at a time when the family was heavily hit by death duties. The grand gates, stables and Brown's landscaped gardens remain. Newnham Paddox House is also shown prior to demolition. An addition image shows the contents being removed for auction before demolition, this is when the Standish, almost certainly, left the family and came onto the market.

Length: 12.5 inches, 31.25cm.
Width: 8 inches.20cm.
Height, to the top of the taperstick: 4.75 inches, 11.88cm.
Weight: 42oz