1. George VI. / Edward VIII. / Queen Elizabeth.

Collection of three important vintage magazines on: 1. The Illustrated London News – No. 5096 – Volume 189: ‘Accession Number’ and ‘The Abdication of King Edward VIII.’ / 2. The Illustrated London News No.5116 – Volume 190: Coronation Week Double Number – ‘The Presentation Plate of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth’ / 3. The Illustrated London News – No. 5117 – Volume 190: Original Coronation Ceremony Number.

Three Volumes. London, Publishing Office of “The Illustrated London News”, 1936 – 1937. Folio. 61, XVI, 79, XXIV, 71 pages with hundreds of illustrations (many in colour) throughout all three editions. Original, illustrated Softcover. Unusually excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. Rare set !

2. Loftie, W.J.

Windsor – A Description of the Castle Park, Town and Neighbourhood. With many illustrations by Heywood Hardie, E.Hull, C.O.Murray, H. Railton and F. Slocombe.

London, Seeley & Co., 1886. 4°. Frontispiece, VIII, 91 pages with 12 full-page illustrations (including frontispiece) with tissue-guards and 58 Vignettes. Hardcover / Original cloth with gilt lettering on spine and cover. The binding with stronger signs of wear. Spine sunned. Some mild signs of foxing only. Lower corner stronger bumped. Wonderful publication with some stunning artwork.

3. [Malta Content] – Luke, Harry [then Lieut. Gov. of Malta] / Rear Admiral, Sir Arthur Bromley / George V. / Princess Elizabeth & The Duke of Edinburgh.

Autographed Letter, signed (ALS) by Rear Admiral, Sir Arthur Bromley & Lord Chamberlain Inviation, alerting Luke “Dear Mr.Luke – The Secretary of State who is acting for the Secretary of State for the Colonies during his absence in Canada would like to present you and Mrs. Luke to their Majesties the King and Queen after tea at the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on the 21st. If you intend to be present at the Garden Party will you please meet me at the north side of the Royal Tea Tent on 5 o’clock on that afternoon ?……Yours very truly A[rthur] Bromley – Rear-Admiral. Ceremonial Secretary, 14th July, 1932. / The letter was sent on July 8th, 1932, in an official envelope of the Lord Chamberlain to Luke c/o Colonial Office in Downing Street but was redirected to St.James’ Club and accompanied by an official Invitation – Card “The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by Their Majesties to invite Mr. & Mrs. H.C.Luke…..”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Oxford], c.1943. Small Octavo. 1 Letter (ALS) and 2 Royal Invitation-Cards in Lord Chamberlain-Envelope. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal library. Luke added to this envelope an additional Royal Invitation-Card which was addressed to Luke in later life, by the Lord Chamberlain in July 1949 after the Lord Chamberlain was “commanded by Their Majesties [then Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh] to invite ‘Sir Harry Luke’ to an Afternoon Party in the Garden of Buckingham Palace on Thursday 7th July, 1949, from 4 to 6 o’clock (Weather Permitting)”.

4. [Sierra Leone Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry / Edward, Prince of Wales / Edward VIII].

Important Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed from Sir Harry Luke to his Father, Mother & Sister Lily during his second posting in Sierra Leone, this time as Colonial Secretary of Sierra Leone. Sir Harry describes at length the visit of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) to the Colony in 1925: “My dear Father & Mother & Lily, To-day being Easter Monday I am spending in bed in an endeavour to recover from the fatigues of a trying but successful week. The Prince’s visit …..may be said to have been an unqualified success; & I hope you will look out for photos of it in the daily & weekly press”. Luke describes how he was sitting next to the Prince at lunch and later he had a ‘chance of telling him two stories which seemed to amuse him’. In his four-page-letter, Sir Harry continues: ‘I also talked to him at the Garden Party [the photograph of Sir Harry Luke next to the Prince of Wales at the Garden Party is a famous image of the Prince’s visit to Sierra Leone and the original is part of the collection]”. “He is very pleasant, but frightfully nervous & fidgety & leads an impossible life. After the very streanous profanities…..he insisted on playing Squash, despite the great heat, before the Dinner party, then after the ball went motoring to the beach with some of the more attractive of the Ladies, then went to some of their houses & danced & drank cold beer until 5 in the morning. When he went to bed for 2 hours. Apparently he seldom sleeps for more than that. At Dinner, when he was sitting between 2 very dark & matriarchical women (one of the Lady S.) he looked across at me with a smile & a wink. After he left I went for a day’s cruise in ‘HMS Endeavour’, the Survey Ship now working here, for a bit of rest…[..]”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Freetown] Sierra Leone, 1925. Octavo. 4 page letter (on two sheets). From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.