£6,930
Select Jewellery & Watches | 758
Auction: 17 October 2023 at 11:00 BST
The polished Saxon agate with twin bloodstone matrices, the larger set in a rose gold border with a hand holding playing cards engraved with motto ‘To err is human to forgive divine’, the smaller matrix with Prince of Wales feathers with motto within garter around and royal crown surmounting
Provenance:
Christie's London, 24th October 1990, lot 39
Literature:
Matrix: A Collection of British Seals - David Morris 2012- Seal 20, page 58
The Royal Baccarat Scandal seal, was originally in the possession of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert had a reputation for womanising and gambling. Baccarat was technically illegal, but highly popular – especially with the Prince of Wales. It was also a game that would see him having to testify against an opponent player, who had been accused of cheating, in London’s famous Old Bailey in 1891. Prince Edward was called as a witness, the first time an heir to the throne had been compelled to appear in court since 1411, and the last time, until Prince Harry’s recent foray as witness earlier this year.
To a modern mind the ‘crime’ committed of cheating at cards may seem innocuous, but in Victorian society, a gentleman to have cheated was unthinkable.
The scandal ensued during a house party in September 1890, when Queen Victoria’s oldest son, arrived at Tranby Croft for a house party hosted by Arthur Wilson and his wife, with a group including his friend Sir William Gordon-Cumming, an army officer who sometimes lent his home to the prince for meetings with his mistresses.
Much enjoyment was no doubt had and Prince Albert hosted a game of Baccarat, himself acting as the dealer. Over the course of the game a member of the group became convinced Gordon-Cumming was cheating at the game by surreptitiously removing and adding to his stake.
The following evening they and three other guests watched Sir Williams play intently and all agreed he was cheating, then letting the wider group know. Sir Wiliam forcefully fighting his innocence.
‘I have heard certain persons have brought a foul abominable charge against me, I have to emphatically deny I have done anything of the kind’ Sir William is recorded as stating. He demanded to see Prince Albert in hope of gaining a ‘pardon’ but this was not to help.
The family members asked the advice of the royal courtiers who, with the agreement of the Prince, pressured him into signing a document that declared he would never play cards again in exchange for the silence of the guests.
The secret was not kept for long, and Gordon-Cumming demanded a retraction from the Wilson family, whom he considered to blame for divulging the news. Sir William, desperate to clear his name, felt the only course of action was to win a slander case in court against the other guests – not however including the Prince of Wales.
Despite the efforts of the Prince's courtiers to have the matter dealt with by a military court, the case was heard publicly at the Old Bailey in June 1891. According to contemporaries “the court presented an appearance which, save for the dignity of its own fittings and its rows of learned-looking law books, might have been taken for a theatre at a fashionable matinée", with society ladies watching proceedings with opera glasses. The real draw was the Prince of Wales, who was to appear as a witness. As one contemporary report put it: “Though it only lasted 20 minutes, the examination of the prince evidently wearied him exceedingly, and made him extremely nervous.
The case was eventually decided in favour of the defendants and the Prince of Wales, however not without substantial damage to the future king’s reputation – and royal courtiers with long memories have since done their best to keep royals out of the courtroom.
The seal bearing the crest, crown and motto of the Prince of Wales as the main (although smaller) matrix is engraved in the later 19th century style, forgoing any question that the seal belonged to the Prince Regent – latterly King George IV – also known to enjoy cards in excess. The larger matrix with a hand of cards and the somewhat pointed motto ‘To err is human to forgive divine’ considered a nod to the case, where Sir William Gordon-Cumming, the friend of the Prince was found guilty of cheating. The motto has various connotations of either further damming Gordon-Cumming’s actions, offering support or indeed even asking for forgiveness of his actions.