Object of the Day: A Souvenir of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, 1887

Well, over the last week, you’ve seen a lot of Royal handkerchiefs from coronations and jubilees ranging from George V and Queen Mary to Queen Elizabeth II. They’ve varied in sizes and textiles. But, here’s the mother of them all! This is, by far, the largest in the collection and, certainly, the largest I’ve ever seen.


This handkerchief was produced in 1887 for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria (1837-1887) and it’s huge! It features, of course, a large portrait of Victoria as she looked in 1887, but also images of her throughout her life. Included also are portraits of her many children, and her many Prime Ministers.

I also like that it has been embroidered at some point in its life with a large red “B.” My Bertie tells me that it was in his honor—113 years before his birth.