Object of the Day: A Souvenir of the Silver Jubilee of George V and Queen Mary

We often celebrate the history and beautiful creations of the British Empire here at Stalking the Belle Époque, and we frequently spend time appreciating the gorgeous items in The Royal Collection. This week, we’ll be looking almost exclusively at the Royal Family as we head into Friday’s historic Royal wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton. I’ve found a host of items pertaining to Royal weddings throughout history and we’ll examine the customs and gifts that make these special occasions all the more exciting.


We’ll begin with an object from my own collection. I’ve mentioned repeatedly my fondness for Mary of Teck (wife of King George V) and the manner in which she augmented and protected the Royal Collection. Mary and George V were the Great Great Grandparents of Prince William of Wales. They were the parents of King George VI (and the uncrowned King Edward VIII), William’s Great Grandfather. George V reigned from 1910 to 1935, celebrating their silver jubilee after twenty-five years. George V died shortly after celebrating his Silver Jubilee. The events which followed—the abdication of King Edward VIII—set into motion the order of ascension which puts Prince William in place as second in line for the throne.

This is one of several souvenir mugs in my collection which were created for the Silver Jubilee of George V and Queen Mary. They’re all different and quite interesting. This one is unique in that it is adorned with an ornamental pattern of roses on the rim of the cup. The reverse is decorated with a shield showing the different realms over which George V reigned as King or Emperor.

While George V was known as being rather strict and difficult with his family, he also had a soft side, and was remembered fondly by his granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, who, as a little girl, referred to him as “Grandfather England.”

Each step that the Royal forebears took led us to Friday’s special event. I’m looking forward to retracing these steps with you as we approach the Royal Wedding on Friday.