GEORGE V: (1865-1936) King of the United Kingdom 1910-36. A.L.S., George, as Duke of York, four pages, 8vo, Sandringham, Norfolk, 29th December 1892, to 'My dear de Winton', on mourning stationery. The Duke thanks his correspondent for their letter and enclosures and remarks 'The rough draft of the speech will do very well…..I will write it out myself & will put it inside the little book as you suggest'. He continues 'Now, about the other speechs, (sic) I have spoken to my father on the subject & we propose the following, of course first “The Queen”, then I want you to write & ask the Duke of Abercorn to propose my father's & mother's healths coupled with my own, & then I return thanks, but please ask him not to refer to the sad event if possible as I think it would be out of place at a dinner. Then I shall propose the Army & Navy coupled with the two names of the persons who will respond. Then comes the Toast of the evening, & then perhaps the President of the Committee would return thanks. And that would be all, nothing else in the way of speechs. (sic) I want you to arrange this now, as else they will try & put a lot more in. The ones I have mentioned are quite enough' and in concluding writes 'I quite approve of what you propose about the wine. Please tell Kingscote that I hope he will be able to get me some white port & also some sparkling Moselle the same as my father has.' Some extremely light, minor age wear, otherwise VG

Sir Francis de Winton (1835-1901) British Army Officer and Courtier, Comptroller and Treasurer of the household of the Duke of York.