.Statue of King Edward VII, Bangalore, India en. wikipedia.org |
The eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, EdwardVII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. Before ascending the throne, he held the title of Prince of Wales for longer than any of his predecessors. When his mother Victoria was the queen, he was kept away from the political involvement and he enjoyed the trapping of a royal life, personifying the fashionable life of a British elite at the highest strata of the society and at the same time performing unavoidable ceremonial public duties. As a prominent royal member, he traveled across England and also abroad. His royal tours of North America in 1860 and the Indian subcontinent in 1875 won him good name. That he is a sucker for dames got a bad rap and became a subject of media scoop. However, his romantic liaisons with wrong ladies made his mother quite unhappy.
As the ruler of Britain, Edward VII got a good name and brought about many administrative changes. His successful period Edwardian Era coincided with the discovery of steam engine and rise of socialism. He not only modenized the British Army, but also reorganized it. Unlike his predecessors, he improved the relationship with France. Further, he wanted to maintain his social contact by way of re instituting traditional royal ceremonies as public displays. He died in 1910.
In October 1875 Edward set off for India on an extensive eight-month tour of the sub-continent. He boarded HMS Serapis and made a passage to India. This would give the heir apparent to learn more about the Indian subcontinent its people that he was going to rule one day.
On this four-month trip, the prince visited many places across the Indian subcontinent using boat, rail, carriage and elephant. He covered more than 21 towns and cities in modern-day India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka and was the guest of honor at more than 90 royal courts.
An interesting aspect of this tour is, in compliance with the Indian protocol, each ruler - Maharajah or Nawob had to present him with valuable gifts worthy of his royal title and status as a foremost member of the British ruling class. The elaborate gifts covered a variety of items from gold jewelry to weaponry, ceremonial objects to small curios. In total prince of Wales received more than 2,000 of them from the Indian elite rulers. – the finest examples of Indian workmanship, design and artistic works native to the respective regions. Now they form the most important Indian artifacts of historical value in the Royal Collections. The tour was undertaken when Lord Northbrook was the Viceroy of India. The gifts given to the royal member were well planed, meticulously fashioned and executed.
His advisors remarked on his habit of treating all people the same, regardless of their social status or color. In letters home, he complained of the treatment of the native Indians by the British officials: “Because a man has a black face and a different religion from our own, there is no reason why he should be treated as a brute.”
Prince Edward returned to England on 11 May 1876, after a stop-over in Portugal. At the end of the tour, Queen Victoria was given the new title Empress of India by Parliament, in part as a result of the tour's success.
Below are presented some of the valuable gifts presented to Prince Charles on his trip to India in 1875. They were all made with precision and artistry and reflect the rich splendor of the Indian court. All were made with meticulous care with minute details and they bear testimony to the artistic and technical knowledge of the Indian goldsmiths and artisans.
A selection of them is presented to the public in the form of exhibition across England and other places and the Indian artworks and workmanship have been widely admired by the people for their
unique design and quality of work. (image credit: thenational.ae/arts).
India. Fly Whisks. thenational.ae/arts |
Courtesy Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017
India, ink stand.thenational.ae/arts |
Courtesy Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017
India. Jewelcrusted Crown. thenational.ae/arts |
Above image: Enamelled gold and jewel encrusted crown presented by the Taluqdars of Awadh to the Prince of Wales in 1876. Splendours of the Subcontinent: A Prince's Tour of India 1875-6. Courtesy Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017.......
India. Durbar set. henational.ae/arts |
India. address casket. www.thenational.ae/arts |
India. Turban ornament. www.thenational.ae/arts |
India. ornamented dagger. www.thenational.ae/arts |
India .gold articulated fish. www.thenational.ae/arts |
India. Silver gold scent holder. thenational.ae/arts |
Above image: A silver and gold perfume holder in the form of a lotus bud. Gift to the Prince of Wales by Jashwant Singh II, Maharajah of Jodhpur; an attar-dan from Jaipur bowls. This exquisite perfume holder resembles a lotus flower and sits on a plate enameled with foliage patterns and hunting scenes. It reportedly underwent five firings and took five years to complete.
Courtesy Royal Collection Trust © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017.............