Lot Essay
The plateau and pair of smaller candelabra were presented by Qÿeen Adelaide, consort of King William IV, to Richard William Penn Curzon, 1st Earl Howe, whose arms appear on the larger candelabrum which was evidently added to the garniture by him in 1852 after the Queen's death.
Adelaide, eldest daughter of George, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, had married William, Duke of Clarence, third son of George III, in 1818. The death of the Prince Regent's daughter had started a 'marriage race' between the Royal Dukes to produce an heir apparent to the throne. Adelaide bore him two daughters, both of whom died in infancy. On the death of his brother in 1830, William ascended the throne as King William IV. Known as "Silly Billy" on account of his earlier naval career, the King and his diminutive wife reigned in bourgeois comfort in stark contrast to the glittering and extravagance of George IV's court.
Earl Howe was born in 1796, the only son of Penn Curzon and his wife, Sophia Charlotte, Baroness Howe, who had inherited the title awarded to her father, the famous Admiral. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1814 and in 1820 succeeded his paternal grandfather as Viscount Curzon of Penn. On July 15, 1821 he was created Earl Howe. A Tory, in 1829 he was appointed Lord of the Bedchamber and, on the accession of William IV in 1830, he was made Lord Chamberlain to Queen Adelaide. The biographer Philip Ziegler is frank in his assessment of him: "Lord Howe was one of those curious individuals whose actions, letters and reported speeches stamp them as so insuferable that it is impossible to understand the powerful charm which they apparently held for some of their contemporaries. He was fatuous, foppish and effably vain. At Eton he had been known as "Miss Curzon", notorious for his effeminacy and silliness. His subsequent career had done nothing to prove his schoolmates wrong. Yet the King liked him and valued his judgement, while Queen Adelaide, whose Lord Chamberlain he was, doted on him" (King William IV, 1973, p. 197-8). The uncertainties and sheer hysteria of the period of the Reform Bill, however, can perhaps allow us to view Howe's actions with a little more understanding. A High Tory, he was determined to speak out, by words and actions, against the bill, but his official position in the Royal Household precluded this. The Prime Minister, Lord Grey, managed to force his resignation from the Household in 1831, provoking somewhat uncharacteristic fury from the Queen. "Adelaide was believed to be besotted with her Chamberlain and the two were often alleged to be lovers - 'Oh Lord Howe wonderful are thy ways' as Lord Alvanley remarked when rumors spread that the Queen was enjoying a belated pregnancy" (op. cit.).
Such rumors were unfounded but it is clear that Howe enjoyed a special place in the Queen's affections; Greville wrote: "Howe is devoted to the Queen, and never away from her. She receives his attentions, but demonstrates nothing in return; he is like a boy in love ... it is impossible to ascertain the exact nature of this connexion. Howe conducts himself towards her like a young ardent lover; he is never out of the Pavilion [at Brighton], dines there almost every day, or goes there every evening, rides with her, never quitting her side, and never takes his eyes off her. She does nothing, but she admits his attentions and acquiesces in his devotion; at the same time there is not the smallest evidence that she treats him as a lover. If she did it would soon be known, for she is surrounded by enemies" (Hopkirk, Queen Adelaide, 1946, p. 128).
"She is so truly good and virtuous that she has no idea that people should fancy she likes him too well" remarked Lady Bedingfeld, and indeed although Lord Howe remained a dvoted member of Adelaide's ÿntourage until her death, no scrap of evidence has ever come to light regarding their rumored liaison. Howe was reinstated as Lord Chamberlain in 1834 and held the post until the death of the King in 1837, after which he held the post of Chamberlain to the Queen Dowager until her death in 1849.
Howe married, as his first wife Harriet Georgiana, daughter of Robert, Earl of Cardigan, in 1820. She had "a brilliancy, life and glowing animation that youth ought always to have, but so seldom has" but she was known for her somewhat curious behaviour. Once, when driving with her husband and the King and Queen, she rested her leg first on her husband's knee (to his great confusion) and then stuck it out of the window. She died in 1836 and Howe married, in 1845, Anne, daughter of Admiral Sir John Gore. She had been one of Queen Adelaide's Maids of Honour.
After the death of the King in 1837 and the accession of the young Victoria, daughter of his younger brother, the Duke of Kent, the Queen Dowager enjoyed an active retirement, despite suffering from a chronic lung complaint, travelling extensively both at home and abroad, always accompanied by Howe and Sir David Davis, her personal physician (for a tea service presented to Davis, see Christie's, New York, April 22, 1993). In 1839 she visited Howe at his house in Leicestershire, Gopsall Hall and it is likely that the garniture was given to Howe around this time.
For a time during the 1840s, the Queen leased Bentley Priory, Middlesex, seat of the Duke and Duchess of Abercorn where hung the Abercorn chandelier, also by Robert Garrard, made for the Duke in 1837, sold in these Rooms, October 30, 1990, lot 349.
The Queen died in 1849 and Howe lived on until 1870, dying at the age of 73 at his London house. He was buried at Twycross in Leicestershire.
Queen Adelaide by Sir William Beechey, painted about 1831. National Portrait Gallery, London, reproduced courtesy of the Trustees
Earl Howe from an engraving after the portrait by Ward, 1838. Private Collection
Adelaide, eldest daughter of George, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, had married William, Duke of Clarence, third son of George III, in 1818. The death of the Prince Regent's daughter had started a 'marriage race' between the Royal Dukes to produce an heir apparent to the throne. Adelaide bore him two daughters, both of whom died in infancy. On the death of his brother in 1830, William ascended the throne as King William IV. Known as "Silly Billy" on account of his earlier naval career, the King and his diminutive wife reigned in bourgeois comfort in stark contrast to the glittering and extravagance of George IV's court.
Earl Howe was born in 1796, the only son of Penn Curzon and his wife, Sophia Charlotte, Baroness Howe, who had inherited the title awarded to her father, the famous Admiral. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1814 and in 1820 succeeded his paternal grandfather as Viscount Curzon of Penn. On July 15, 1821 he was created Earl Howe. A Tory, in 1829 he was appointed Lord of the Bedchamber and, on the accession of William IV in 1830, he was made Lord Chamberlain to Queen Adelaide. The biographer Philip Ziegler is frank in his assessment of him: "Lord Howe was one of those curious individuals whose actions, letters and reported speeches stamp them as so insuferable that it is impossible to understand the powerful charm which they apparently held for some of their contemporaries. He was fatuous, foppish and effably vain. At Eton he had been known as "Miss Curzon", notorious for his effeminacy and silliness. His subsequent career had done nothing to prove his schoolmates wrong. Yet the King liked him and valued his judgement, while Queen Adelaide, whose Lord Chamberlain he was, doted on him" (King William IV, 1973, p. 197-8). The uncertainties and sheer hysteria of the period of the Reform Bill, however, can perhaps allow us to view Howe's actions with a little more understanding. A High Tory, he was determined to speak out, by words and actions, against the bill, but his official position in the Royal Household precluded this. The Prime Minister, Lord Grey, managed to force his resignation from the Household in 1831, provoking somewhat uncharacteristic fury from the Queen. "Adelaide was believed to be besotted with her Chamberlain and the two were often alleged to be lovers - 'Oh Lord Howe wonderful are thy ways' as Lord Alvanley remarked when rumors spread that the Queen was enjoying a belated pregnancy" (op. cit.).
Such rumors were unfounded but it is clear that Howe enjoyed a special place in the Queen's affections; Greville wrote: "Howe is devoted to the Queen, and never away from her. She receives his attentions, but demonstrates nothing in return; he is like a boy in love ... it is impossible to ascertain the exact nature of this connexion. Howe conducts himself towards her like a young ardent lover; he is never out of the Pavilion [at Brighton], dines there almost every day, or goes there every evening, rides with her, never quitting her side, and never takes his eyes off her. She does nothing, but she admits his attentions and acquiesces in his devotion; at the same time there is not the smallest evidence that she treats him as a lover. If she did it would soon be known, for she is surrounded by enemies" (Hopkirk, Queen Adelaide, 1946, p. 128).
"She is so truly good and virtuous that she has no idea that people should fancy she likes him too well" remarked Lady Bedingfeld, and indeed although Lord Howe remained a dvoted member of Adelaide's ÿntourage until her death, no scrap of evidence has ever come to light regarding their rumored liaison. Howe was reinstated as Lord Chamberlain in 1834 and held the post until the death of the King in 1837, after which he held the post of Chamberlain to the Queen Dowager until her death in 1849.
Howe married, as his first wife Harriet Georgiana, daughter of Robert, Earl of Cardigan, in 1820. She had "a brilliancy, life and glowing animation that youth ought always to have, but so seldom has" but she was known for her somewhat curious behaviour. Once, when driving with her husband and the King and Queen, she rested her leg first on her husband's knee (to his great confusion) and then stuck it out of the window. She died in 1836 and Howe married, in 1845, Anne, daughter of Admiral Sir John Gore. She had been one of Queen Adelaide's Maids of Honour.
After the death of the King in 1837 and the accession of the young Victoria, daughter of his younger brother, the Duke of Kent, the Queen Dowager enjoyed an active retirement, despite suffering from a chronic lung complaint, travelling extensively both at home and abroad, always accompanied by Howe and Sir David Davis, her personal physician (for a tea service presented to Davis, see Christie's, New York, April 22, 1993). In 1839 she visited Howe at his house in Leicestershire, Gopsall Hall and it is likely that the garniture was given to Howe around this time.
For a time during the 1840s, the Queen leased Bentley Priory, Middlesex, seat of the Duke and Duchess of Abercorn where hung the Abercorn chandelier, also by Robert Garrard, made for the Duke in 1837, sold in these Rooms, October 30, 1990, lot 349.
The Queen died in 1849 and Howe lived on until 1870, dying at the age of 73 at his London house. He was buried at Twycross in Leicestershire.
Queen Adelaide by Sir William Beechey, painted about 1831. National Portrait Gallery, London, reproduced courtesy of the Trustees
Earl Howe from an engraving after the portrait by Ward, 1838. Private Collection