Monogram help please?

[CuriousHU1]

Hi, newby here from the UK. Do we have any Cypher or Monogram experts in these forums? I'm trying to identify a monogram from someone who was a Member of the Garter, likely a female member, so a Lady of the Garter, who was a member in the 1930s, and I've drawn a complete blank. The first two letters are G R, the next two (or possibly 3) are indecipherable.
Thanks in advance for any help. I'll try to post a photo too (might not work!)

 

[GondorHasNoPants]

Hi, newby here from the UK. Do we have any Cypher or Monogram experts in these forums? I'm trying to identify a monogram from someone who was a Member of the Garter, likely a female member, so a Lady of the Garter, who was a member in the 1930s, and I've drawn a complete blank. The first two letters are G R, the next two (or possibly 3) are indecipherable.
Thanks in advance for any help. I'll try to post a photo too (might not work!)
View attachment 303595

The second two letters look like a mirror image of the first two to me, so just repeating the GR. Presumably referring to George V, who would have been King at the time?

Also, Lady Companions of the Order were pretty rare through the 20th century - most were other royals.

 

[doro]

G R might be George V or George VI Rex.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

G R is the monogram for George Rex, so either King George V or King George VI

The only female members of the Order of the Garter in the 1930:s was Queen Mary and (from 1936) Queen Elizabeth.

The first non-royal Lady of the Garter was Lavinia Duchess of Norfolk, who was appointed in 1990

 

[CuriousHU1]

G R is the monogram for George Rex, so either King George V och King George VI

The only female members of the Order of the Garter in the 1930:s was Queen Mary and (from 1936) Queen Elizabeth.

The first non-royal Lady of the Garter was Lavinia Duchess of Norfolk, who was appointed in 1990

Thank you very much for that. This monogram is on a powder compact, made by Asprey's and hallmarked for 1932-33, so wonder who it belonged to.

 

[GondorHasNoPants]

Thank you very much for that. This monogram is on a powder compact, made by Asprey's and hallmarked for 1932-33, so wonder who it belonged to.

Interesting. I would guess, now, that it was made for the wife of a Garter knight? But that seems a bit presumptuous, and a little disrespectful - sporting the badge of your husband's order of chivalry on your powder compact, of all things ?

It's the kind of thing you should take to the Antiques Roadshow, to see what they would say. And I wonder if Asprey would be able to tell you more, if you contacted them?

 

[Hans-Rickard]

Thank you very much for that. This monogram is on a powder compact, made by Asprey's and hallmarked for 1932-33, so wonder who it belonged to.

Good question…. There was no new Garter Knights created in 1932…. In 1931 Lord Irwin (later 1st Earl of Halifax) was created a KG… In 1933 the 2nd Earl of Lytton was created a KG…

Maybe it belonged to either of their wives…. But it could have belonged to anyone associated with the order

 

[CuriousHU1]

Interesting. I would guess, now, that it was made for the wife of a Garter knight? But that seems a bit presumptuous, and a little disrespectful - sporting the badge of your husband's order of chivalry on your powder compact, of all things ?

It's the kind of thing you should take to the Antiques Roadshow, to see what they would say. And I wonder if Asprey would be able to tell you more, if you contacted them?

Interestingly, some more information has landed. On the reverse are the initials EWW picked out in what appears to be diamonds. So I'm guessing Elizabeth?

 

[CuriousHU1]

Good question…. There was no new Garter Knights created in 1932…. In 1931 Lord Irwin (later 1st Earl of Halifax) was created a KG… In 1933 the 2nd Earl of Lytton was created a KG…

Maybe it belonged to either of their wives…. But it could have belonged to anyone associated with the order

Thanks Hans, I've just been told, and seen, that on the reverse are the initials EWW, picked out in what appears to be diamonds.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

Maybe it belonged to Edward Wood then �� (Lord Irwin and later Earl of Halifax who was installed in 1931)

 

[CuriousHU1]

Photo

Photo here:

 

[CuriousHU1]

Hmm, his full name was Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, so no explanation for the middle W. His wife was Dorothy and no daughters. Curiouser and curiouser!

 

[GondorHasNoPants]

Not gonna lie - when I saw those initials, the first thing that popped into my head was Edward Wales + Wallis. And I know that's not the explanation - the date is wrong, for a start - but it made me blink for a moment ?

The only other 'W' I can find in the recent garter list is Arthur Wellesley, 4th Duke of Wellington, but his wife's name was Kathleen. He had daughters called Evelyn and Eileen, but neither the middle initial nor the date work.

 

[Curryong]

I had the same thought. However, if not Wallis could it be another girlfriend (not Thelma Furness obviously) that we don’t know? And the motto was a sort of in-joke?
Perhaps Asprey’s do have records going back to the 1930s and could help.