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Coronation Velvet Butterfly

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Reville Ltd.

c. 1937

Subcollections

Royal Memorabilia

Overview

A simple Butterfly brooch made of red velvet and gold thread in a gold carboard box

Historical information

The coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth was performed at Westminster Abbey on 12th May 1937, the date that had been scheduled for the coronation of Edward VIII.

King George VI was born as Albert Frederick Arthur George on 14 December 1895. He was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death on 6 February 1952. He was also the last Emperor of India from 1936 until the British Raj was dissolved in August 1947 and the first head of the Commonwealth following the London Declaration of 1949.

Albert was the second son of George V and only ascended to the throne as George VI in 1936 after his brother Edward VIII abdicated the throne in order to marry the twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson.

William Reville and his partner Miss Rossiter founded the House of Reville in 1906 and by 1910 they had become the court dressmaker. The company thrived for a period and in 1910 Reville designed the coronation robe for Queen Mary but they were out of business by the late 1930s.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-124-2024.74

Item type

Souvenirs

Material

Threads

Velvet

Width

7 cm

Height or length

7 cm

Inscriptions and markings

The top of the box bears the British coat of arm and the following wording

Reville
Coronation
Velvet Butterfly
Made from the Crimson Silk Velvet
as used for the Coronation Robes of
H.R.H The Duke of Gloucester
H.R.H The Duke of Kent
The Earl Marshal of England
and the
Peers and Peeresses

On the front edge of the box appears the following wording

Reville Ltd.
15 Hanover Square, London

Contextual Information

The Royal School of Needlework worked on pieces for every Coronation of the British Royal Family since it was founded in 1872. In 1937 they worked with Reville’s and asked injured war veterans to make butterfly brooches from the scraps of velvet from robes worn at the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. These velvet butterflies sold well.

The Dukes mentioned on the box were the younger brothers of King George VI. The Duke of Gloucester being Prince Henry the 3rd son of King George V and the Duke of Kent was Prince George the 4th son of George V. The Earl Marshal of England was Bernard Marmaduke Fitzalan-Howard the 16th Duke of Norfolk.

Keywords

Coronation King George VI

British Royal Family

Royal Souvenirs

Place made

London
United Kingdom

15 Hanover Square

Year

c. 1937

Primary significance criteria

Social or spiritual significance

Busselton Historical Society

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