Lot 1835

Description

King Edward VII, personal handwritten letter of three pages on Buckingham Palace letterhead, dated January 11th 1909, to Dear 'Sister Agnes', and signed off, Believe me Dear 'Sister Agnes', Sincerely yours, Edward R & I, content revolves around operations of King Edward VII's Hospital for Officers. Good very fine.

Agnes Keyser RRC (1852-1941) was the wealthy daughter of a stockbroker, a humanitarian, courtesan and mistress of Edward VII. Irregardless of her association to the King, she was accepted within royal circles and even had the acceptance of Edward's wife, Alexandra of Denmark. At the suggestion of Edward VII (then Prince of Wales) Agnes and her sister Fanny opened their house at 17 Grosvenor Crescent to help sick and wounded British Army officers who had returned from the Boer War. It became the King Edward VII's Hospital for Officers and in 1946 moved to its present site in Beaumont Street and in 2000 it was renamed King Edward VII's Hospital Sister Agnes.