Royal 60th Anniversary Presentation Portfolio With Watercolor and Silver Mounts

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This elegant leather document holder, ornamented with a romantic inset watercolor, contains a formal presentation address written in a decorative … Read more This elegant leather document holder, ornamented with a romantic inset watercolor, contains a formal presentation address written in a decorative 19th-century German script. The document was encased within the portfolio’s silk moiré lining, where it remains to this day.
The recipients were Archduke Rainer of Austria and his wife, Archduchess Maria Karoline. It was 1912, only a few years before the Habsburgs’ rule collapsed, and they were celebrating their Diamond Wedding Anniversary (60 years). Archduke Rainer of Austria (Rainer Ferdinand) was the first cousin of Emperor Franz Joseph I. This "Diamond Wedding" was a major imperial event. The Emperor, himself, celebrated the long-lasting marriage of his cousin and the "Jubilee Bride" Maria Karoline. Franz Joseph would be celebrating his own 60th with the Empress Elizabeth two years later. The giver was a Catholic educational institution in Bozen (modern-day Bolzano, Italy), the Rainerum of which Rainer was the school’s patron.
The enclosed document begins “Your Imperial and Royal Highness!
A most rare festival is granted to Your Imperial Highness to celebrate today. Six decades have passed since Your Imperial Highness entered into the bond for life with Her Highness, your jubilee bride. Only a few people are permitted to celebrate this rare festival; only a few can look back on such a happy marriage. In restless activity and noble zeal, Your Imperial Highness dedicated yourself during this long time to the great and...”
It ends with “May God’s richest blessing rest upon Your Imperial Highness and the Most Serene Jubilee Bride, Archduchess Maria, and the Archducal House of Austria; may the grateful Institute Rainerum be granted the privilege of being able to revere, in Your Imperial Highnesses, its dearly beloved Protector for many years to come.”
Dated Bozen, February 21, 1912, and presented by The Board of the Catholic Boys' Education Association Rainerum, signed by the institution’s chairman and secretary.
Lastly, should this item still have insufficient royal connection, there’s more. According to an attached note, the portfolio was subsequently in the possession of the Count of Chambord, Duke of Bordeaux who was also briefly known as Henry V of France. Born Henri d'Artois (1820–1883), he was the last legitimate male-line descendant of King Louis XV and the final head of the senior branch of the House of Bourbon. He was a central figure in 19th-century French monarchist politics as the "Legitimist" pretender to the throne. This item was subsequently acquired by the London firm of Maggs Bros., Ltd.
So, if an occasion in your life merits this level of impact, make your own history and add a document to say what you want conveyed. There are times when the grocery store greeting card just doesn’t cut it.
Signature/Maker’s mark: Watercolor initialed CB lower left corner (photo #6). Watercolor dimensions: 5”w x 7.5”h. See less