A rare Royal Household Badge for a Woman of the Bedchamber to Her Majesty Queen Alexandra, presented to The Honourable Lady Mary Hardinge

Badge of a Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Alexandra, the oval gold pendant inset with a portrait miniature of the Queen in court dress and wearing a tiara, surrounded by a border of alternate pearls and diamond-set Maltese crosses, suspended from diamond-set hook, the reverse engraved ‘Coronation Day, August 9th 1902, from Alexandra’, 38mm x 29mm excluding suspension, with length of original ribbon, very fine and extremely rare £3500-4500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Richard Magor Collection of Medals Relating to India and Africa, and other Fine Awards.

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This badge was worn by the Hon. Lady Mary Georgiana Frances Hardinge, widow of General Hon. Sir Arthur Hardinge, K.C.B., C.I.E., who died in 1892. The Hon. Lady Hardinge was Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Alexandra, when Princess of Wales, and attended the 1902 Coronation in that capacity. A similar badge, worn by the Dowager Countess of Morton, was sold by Sotheby in March 1984 (£4200).