She was a member of the Royal Household for more than three decades and inspired one of Queen Victoria’s most famous retorts: “We’re not funny.”
Now, on October 16, Drewatts will auction in London two of the uniforms worn by the Honorable Alexander Grantham Yorke when he was equerry and groom at Buckingham Palace.
Born in 1847, Alick, as he was known, graduated with a master’s degree from Oriel College, Oxford, and joined the House in 1874, at the age of 27, as equerry to Queen Victoria’s eighth son and youngest son. , Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. .
He became the Queen’s groom in 1884 and, after her death in 1901, took on the role of additional wedding groom to her eldest son, Edward VII.
He continued to work for the Royal Family until the King’s death in 1910, but died the following year in Palermo, Sicily, at the age of 63. He was buried at Hamble-le-Rice, Hampshire.
The Honorable Alexander Grantham Yorke, known to all as ‘Alick’, was Queen Victoria’s groom and equerry to her son, Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany.
Queen Victoria reigned for 63 years, until her death in 1901; He was not amused by Alick’s story at dinner and his scathing retort became his most famous quote.
The first uniform, lot 390, dates from the time when Yorke was squire to Prince Leopold and consists of a scarlet tunic with blue facings and gold embroidery; blue pants with gold lace; blue frock coat with mourning ribbons; and a coat
The other uniform, lot 388, is from the time when he was Edward VII’s boyfriend and has the king’s number on the buttons of his tailcoat.
Also in the lot are three cocked hats with different loops and buttons; a braided sword knot; and a uniform trunk. It has an estimated price of £500 to £800.
“He was attending one of the Queen’s dinners at Windsor Castle, and at one point he turned to his German neighbor and told him a rather risqué story,” the catalog states.
The German, who was evidently easily pleased, burst into almost hysterical laughter and began clutching his sides in unbridled appreciation.
“The Queen then asked to hear the story and, after Yorke reluctantly repeated it, gave her historic response: “We’re not amused.”
The two uniforms are among more than 400 lots being auctioned at Drewatts in a sale titled: Collecting Arcadia: The Gatewick and Trethill House Collections.
The historic manor house was purchased in 1953 by one of his descendants, the lawyer and JP David Yorke, following his marriage to Anne Mackail, great-granddaughter of the renowned Pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones.
The Grade II listed house, in Steyning, West Sussex, which sits on 6.5 acres of land, came on the market earlier this year for £2.95 million and has since sold.
The first uniform, lot 390, dates from the time when Yorke was squire to Prince Leopold and consists of a scarlet tunic with blue facings and gold embroidery; blue pants with gold lace; blue frock coat with mourning ribbons; and a coat.
A Vanity Fair Spy caricature of ‘Alick’ from 1881. He remained working for the Royal Family until the King’s death in 1910, and died the following year in Palermo, Sicily.
The historic Gatewick House was purchased in 1953 by one of Alick’s descendants, the lawyer and JP David Yorke, after his marriage to Anne Mackail, great-granddaughter of the renowned Pre-Raphaelite artist, Sir Edward Burne-Jones.
The Grade II listed house, in Steyning, West Sussex, which sits on 6.5 acres of land, came on the market earlier this year for £2.95 million.
Comes with a three-cornered hat with a gold embroidered loop; a crimson and gold dress sash; a dress belt and sling; a pair of brass spurs; and two uniform trunks, one of them labeled Manning & Co, London. It is estimated to raise between £400 and £600.
The other uniform, lot 388, is from the time when he was Edward VII’s boyfriend and has the king’s number on the buttons of his tailcoat.
The lot includes a blue ball gown with red accents and gold embroidery; a blue frock coat with red crotches and gold embroidery; the black Edwardian tailcoat with ER VIl buttons; and a pair of white pants.
Also in the lot are three cocked hats with different loops and buttons; a braided sword knot; and a uniform trunk. It has an estimated price of £500 to £800.
Other lots include works by 18th-century Scottish artist Allan Ramsay, who was painter to King George III, and 18th-century Italian artist Michelangelo Maestri.
