Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 322

Chapter 322 

Amongst Peers



“Miss Molliner,” Queen Victoria smiled. “We are pleased to see that you’ve enjoyed luncheon.”

Lennie looked across the opulently-set table and smiled sheepishly. “Yes, Your Majesty. I’ve enjoyed it very much.”

“Much of our foodstuffs are grown at Sandringham. My husband even puts our children to work on their own little plots. He believes that it will instill in them an understanding of how our empire truly functions.” The Queen nodded.

“A very sensible idea,” Robert smiled.

“I think so, too.” The Queen replied. “Unless anyone would like another serving, perhaps we should bring in the pudding.”

“Oh, yes, pudding, please.” Mr. Punch answered eagerly.

“Oh, dear Mr. Punch, you do delight me so.” Queen Victoria grinned. “We are so pleased that you feel that you can be yourself with us. The false pretense of acting as you think a Duke should must be a terrible bore for you. I know you must do it elsewhere, but, here, you are safe and may do as you please.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Mr. Punch whooped.

“We are also glad to see Miss Molliner so at ease with us.” The Queen continued. “I feared you would be timid and ill at ease.”

“I feared so, too, Your Majesty.” Lennie replied. “I must confess that throughout the carriage ride from Belgrave Square, my heart pounded so that I was sure that my brothers could hear it.”

“You consider Dr. Halifax your brother as well?” The Queen raised an eyebrow.

“I do, Your Majesty.” Lennie answered honestly.

“How wonderful.” The Queen nodded. “Equally wonderful is that upon meeting us, your nervousness abated.”

“Well, Your Majesty, my dear brother speaks of you so affectionately and so loyally that upon seeing Your Majesty, I saw at once just my brother’s close friend and not a Queen and Empress.” She blushed. “I hope Your Majesty does not mind my saying so.”

“Not at all.” The Queen shook her head. “Millions bow to me. Only a few do so out of affection instead of fear or tradition. I’m glad to count you among the former. Which leads us to something I’ve been wishing to discuss with you.”

“Oh?” Mr. Punch raised his eyebrows.

“Of course we are aware of the unpleasantness with this woman who impersonated Miss Molliner and who has caused such death and havoc. We will assuredly address this. However, it’s not a talk one should have over pudding. Before we must entrench ourselves in pitiful talk, we should like to address something which has troubled me since I first received Mr. Punch’s letter informing me that he’d found his half-sister. Yes, and even before.”

“Your Majesty is most kind.” Lennie nodded.

“I cannot say whether or not that is true, but we do like to think of ourselves as fair.” The Queen replied demurely. “To begin with, Mr. Punch, allow me to ask you a question.”

“Anything you wish, Your Majesty.” Mr. Punch said eagerly.

“Your sister, Lady Barbara…as you’ve explained, she’s not deceased as most people understand.”

“That’s true, Your Majesty.”

“Yet, she has renounced her title?”

“Yes.” Punch nodded.

“And, she’s unlikely to return.”

“She will not return to England, Your Majesty.” Punch shook his head.

“Good. We never cared for her.” The Queen replied dryly. “Too much like the late Duchess of Fallbridge.” She turned to Lennie, “Miss Molliner, we were heartened to know you’d taken your brother’s surname, and pleased to know that His Grace had offered it to you. Yet, we do not feel that it is enough. The circumstances of your birth are not your doing. The plain reality is that you are the offspring of the Duchess of Fallbridge, and, as such, I should like to create you Lady Fallbridge, if you are so willing.”

Lennie’s mouth opened slightly.

“You must say yay or nay, my dear.” The Queen smiled.

“I would be honored, Your Majesty.” Lennie replied softly, overwhelmed.

“As the former Lady Barbara is, ostensibly deceased, you are due the honor, and we shall start the process to see it bestowed upon you.”

“I don’t know what to say, Your Majesty. I am humbled.” Lennie answered.

“You needn’t be humbled, my dear. It is your right.” Queen Victoria replied. “Don’t you agree, Your Grace…or, I should say, Mr. Punch.”

“I love my sister and I’m that glad she’s with us. I would want only the best for her and, to be sure, would be ever-so ‘appy to see her receive the title she deserves.”

“And, so be it.” The Queen declared. “You will receive correspondence to that effect within the day, Lady Fallbridge.” Her Majesty grinned. “This leads me to my next concern.” She leveled her eyes at Robert. “It’s not right that the beloved companion of the Duke of Fallbridge—a well-respected physician without whom my dear Leopold would not have been brought into the world—should not be a peer of England.”

“Oh, Your Majesty.” Robert shook his head.

“We do not accept arguments.” The Queen grinned. “We have already initiated a writ of summons to create Dr. Halifax as a baron, a life peer of England.”

“A baron, Your Majesty?” Robert gulped.

“Yes.” The Queen nodded. “You shall be a lord of parliament and will be addressed as Your Lordship.

“I’m honored, Your Majesty. I cannot express how deeply. However, I own no land. I have no barony.” Robert replied, choking back his emotion.

“Yes, yes you do.” Punch exclaimed.

“Dear Punch.” Robert shook his head.

“No, listen, Chum. There’s a small estate which abuts Grange Molliner. I own it. Sir Colin purchased it just before he was killed. I didn’t do a thing with it ‘cause I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Only, now I do. I know our pa bought it so it would remain as it was for always and ever. Pretty land, it is, Chum. You saw it. Just to the North of the Grange…with all them lovely pines. It’s yours. I’ll write the deed over to you. I’ll do it this very day.”

“I can’t…” Robert began.

“You must.” The Queen interrupted. “We rather thought His Grace would respond thusly.”

“I…” Robert coughed.

“Now that you have your barony, Dr. Halifax, what is it called?” The Queen asked.

Robert looked at Punch.

“Dunno.” Punch shrugged. “Long ago it were called Greenshire. But, you can call it anything what you like.”

Robert took a deep breath. “I should like to call it Colinshire.”

Punch grinned broadly, and Lennie dabbed her eyes.

“So be it.” The Queen declared. “You shall be, Dr. Robert Henry Halifax, The Right Honorable Lord Baron Colinshire.”

“Huzzah!” Punch whopped.

Robert swallowed. “Your Majesty…I am deeply honored. How can I express…”

“By enjoying your pudding, Lord Colinshire.” The Queen smiled. “Ah, and here it comes.”



Did you miss Chapters 1-321 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 323.

Unfolding Pictures: Queen Victoria's Birthday Fan, 1858

Queen Victoria's Thirty-Ninth Birthday Fan
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
All Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This gorgeous fan of cream silk leaves and guards and sticks of carved and pierced mother-of-pearl bears the incised date May 24 / 1858, and features a brass pin, silver loop and a tassel of silk and gold thread

fan was presented by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria on her thirty-ninth birthday, 24 May 1858.

The decoration includes the emblems of the British Isles – the rose, the shamrock and the thistle - with swags of lilies-of-the-valley and ribbons. Victoria’s monogram VR is painted in the center of the leaf, surmounted by a crown. The Queen’s cipher, employing the letters VR and A (for her first name, Alexandrina), with her crown and the date 24 May 1858 has been worked into the design.

The fan’s original box survives. The box is similarly decorated with flowers, Victoria’s monogram and crown and bears the trade label of Mme Rebours of 17 Rue Rousselet, Faubourg Saint-Germain, Paris.

Queen Victoria’s spent her thirty-ninth birthday at Osborne House, with her family. She is said to have long favored the fan and is shown holding it in a photograph taken in 1860.

Happy 351st Birthday, Mr. Punch!

On May 9, 1662 Samuel Pepys wrote in his famous diary that he had seen, in Covent Garden, “an Italian puppet play, that is within the rails there, which is very pretty."  And, thus, 351 years later, we mark the "birthday" of our delightful Mr. Punch.

Though Punch has been around for far longer and can trace his roots back to the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, today reminds us of his first official record in Britain.  So, on this special day, let's remember "Old Red Nose"--the voice of the people, the lovable rogue, the scamp, the lover and the defeater of the devil.  

We'll spend tomorrow celebrating our Dear Punch's birthday, but first...

Three cheers for Mr. Punch!  

Here's wishing you another happy three and a half (and one year) centuries!

As you know, Mr. Punch is an important part of my life.  If you love the hunch-backed anti-hero as much as I do, show your support by telling others "the way to do it."  Visit our online store to see the many Punch products available.  

Mastery of Design: Queen Alexandra’s Diamond and Gold Bracelet

A Gold Bracelet with a Diamond and Enamel Buckle
Garrard & Co., 1830
The Royal Collection

This beautiful bracelet of gold, diamonds and cobalt blue enamel appears to be a marriage of several older pieces of jewelry which were assembled by the Royal jewelers at Garrard & Co. The centerpiece of the bracelet is an enamel buckle set with diamonds forming a pattern of ostrich feathers--the symbol of The Prince of Wales—and appears to date to the time of King William IV--Queen Victoria's predecessor.


The finished bracelet was a gift to Princess Alexandra of Denmark from the Duke of Cambridge, Queen Victoria's first cousin and nephew of King William IV. The bracelet likely symbolized Alexandra's marriage to the Prince of Wales, long before they would become King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

Painting of the Day: Queen Victoria’s Coronation 1838

The Coronation of Queen Victoria
Sir George Hayter, 1838
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Queen Victoria—at the time of her accession in 1837, formed long-lasting relationships with a variety of artists and jewelers who enjoyed her patronage and support. Sir George Hayter had been appointed as Queen Victoria’s “Painter of History and Portrait,” in 1837, but had impressed Her Majesty seberal years before. Later, Sir Hayter succeeded Sir David Wilkie as “Principal Painter in Ordinary to the Queen” in 1841.

The relationship between the painter and his patron would not sour, but Victoria, after 1842 never commissioned another portrait from Hayter. She quickly began to prefer the personalities and styles of Sir Edwin Landseer and Franz Xaver Winterhalter.

However, in 1938, Victoria commissioned her official State Portrait, from Hayter who painted the nineteen year-old Queen as she looked at her Coronation in Westminster Abbey on June 28 of that year. Victoria is shown seated in her Homage Chair, wearing the Coronation Robes and the Imperial State Crown and holding the Sceptre with the Cross. Originally, Hayter’s background for the painting showed Westminster Abbey, but the Queen did not care for the coldness of the setting and asked him to change it to an unspecific regal setting.

The Baroque and almost religious feeling of the painting belies the reality of the day which did not go smoothly at all. The coronation had been badly planned aside from a dish of sandwiches which had been placed behind the altar—the only sustenance available during the long ceremony. Everything else was as complicated as possible. Yet, the Queen suffered it without a beat. Even as the orb and scepter grew too heavy in her hands, she didn’t bat an eye, and did not express her extreme disgust when other parts of the ceremony went wrong. For instance, the Coronation Ring, which had been made to fit her little finger, was forced on to her fourth finger by the Archbishop, causing the finger to swell and bleed. Later, the hurting Queen was forced to soak her hand in iced water after the ceremony before she could remove the ring. Despite the myriad complications, the Queen described the day as ‘the proudest of my life’.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Home Beautiful: The Darras Chair, 1900

The Victoria & Albert Museum


Exhibited at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1900--the exhibition which established Art Nouveau as the dominant modern style of decoration throughout Europe--this chair wowed the juries with its complicated design of undulating lines and the contrast of the formalized motifs on the leather panels depicting chestnut leaves, mistletoe and sprays of ivy.

The same foliate patterns are depicted in a much more realistic manner on the legs and back of the chair. This type of contrast in design was a speciality of the maker, A. Darras, about whom very little is known.

The sturdy frame is constructed of walnut, however, the original leather panels suffered from rot and were reproduced by the conservationists at the Victoria & Albert Museum who used the patterns originally employed by Darras himself.

Unusual Artifacts: The Lucknow Throne, 1820

Lucknow Throne
1820
Robert Home
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see an Indian throne chair of wood, gilt brass and gilt gesso mounts, painted decoration and blue velvet upholstery. The chair dates to about 1820.

Known as the “Lucknow Throne Chair,” this chair is a rare surviving example of palace furniture from Lucknow in northern India. This opulent piece of furniture was a gift from Ghazi-ud-din Haidar, Nawab and King of Oudh (ruled 1814 to 1827), to Lord Amherst, the Governor-General of India which was given during Amherst's visit to Lucknow in 1827.

Though it was built to be used by an Indian ruler, the chair was actually designed by the celebrated Scottish artist Robert Home who was court painter at Lucknow. There, Home designed regalia, royal carriages, howdahs, barges and palace furnishings in the popular European fashions of the day. The typical British design of this piece is further adorned with the twin-fish badge of the rulers of Lucknow.