Of King Edward VII Royal Interest: a collection of Pirkenhammer dinnerwares, circa 1900-1909,

each plain with gilt borders, and with the Royal Coat of Arms, comprising eight dinner plates, eight side plates and eight soup plates, printed marks

dinner, 24cm diameter, side, 20.5cm diameter, soup, 24cm diameter

24

Provenance:

Owned by the present vendor's family, who lived in the Czech Republic and acquired the dinnerwares from a relative.

King Edward VII visited the Hotel Weimer in the Czech spa town of Mariánské Lázně, west of Prague, from 1897 and returned nine times, indulging in weeks-long restorative retreats, taking the water and relaxing. The King travelled as 'Lord Renfrew' or 'The Duke of Lancaster'. In Mariánské Lázně, he met the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1904, met with the Russian foreign minister Alexander Izvolsky, French Premier Clemenceau in 1907, and with Duke Ferdinand of Bulgaria in 1908.

This dinner set was believed to have been used for his personal use whilst at the hotel.

The hotel Weimar was built in 1821 by Count Klebelberg. It was later modernised to plans of the Viennese architect Arnold Heymann into a monumental palace with meeting facilities, restaurant, reading room, smoking room, modern bathrooms decorated in Art Nouveau and with a wonderful garden and tennis courts. The hotel was also fully electrified and provided with a lift.

King Edward VII stayed in a luxury apartment with a large balcony on the first floor of the hotel. It was here he met the milliner, Mizzi Pistl, with whom it is rumoured he had a relationship.

Condition Report:

Most have some rubbing to the gilt edges. Dinner plate - one chipped. Side plate - one chipped.