ABDICATION

Jardine, dubbed by the press 'the Poor Man's Pastor', travelled to France to perform the ceremony. As a result, his vestry committee resigned and he resigned his living, emigrating to the United States. The cuttings are laid down on 19pp of a Victorian folio volume, in superior brown calf binding, tooled in gilt, with marbled endpapers, and 'HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS' stamped on the spine. As the title on the spine indicates, the volume contains the manuscript of a harmony of the gospels, covering 127pp, with the text written around columns of printed text cut from a printed bible.

Initialled "[?]P 10/12" (10 December"2pp., 4to. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. A number of minor autograph corrections suggest that the author of the letter may not be a native English speaker.

2pp., folio. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Castellani, who had accompanied the Italian royal family into exile in Portugal in 1946, is responding to two letters from Bilainkin, loyally attempting to conceal the unhappy state of relations between the royal couple ('We were never happy', the Queen declared after her husband's death; and there were rumours of homosexual affairs on the King's part).

King of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Dominions beyond the seas, and Emperor of India (1894-1972), and his wife (1896-1986) for whom he renounced the throne. On a piece of paper, dimensions roughly 2 1/2 inches by 3 inches. With minor spotting , but in good condition, neatly attached to a piece of card, which carries thin yellow horizontal stripes, and is of dimensions roughly 5 inches by 10 inches, to the right of a large picture of the smiling couple in old age, carrying a French caption (from a magazine).

King Edward VIII (1894-1972), crowned and abdicated in 1936, thereafter Duke of Windsor. Approximately 5 1/2 inches by 8 inches. Shows the Prince in bowler hat mounting a stone jetty with four associates, with three sailors in RNLI boat at bottom left. In the background two sailing boats and two empty row boats. Stamped on reverse 'SPORT & GENERAL | PRESS AGENCY LTD. | LONDON. | COPYRIGHT.' In manuscript on reverse: 'Left to R. | Sailors from C. B. | The Prince's private detective | General Seeley. | My father (bare-head) | Sir Godfrey Baring | H. R. H.'