Lord Lansdowne, a personal letter to the Begum of Bhopal, 1889, mentioning a forthcoming royal visit.a

A personal letter addressed to H. H. The Begum of Bhopal &c &c &c written in the Viceroy’s own hand on two sides of a sheet of folded writing paper embossed in blue with the address GOVERNMENT HOUSE, CALCUTTA, dated Jan 2nd 1889, written in the Viceroy’s own distinctively sloping writing and signed Lansdowne. The letter has small holes top left where it has been stab sewn into a folder and there is some browning from offsetting, The letter begins My dear Begum rather than the more formal My Esteemed Friend of official Viceregal letters and thanks her for her new year wishes but a last paragraph betrays Lord Lansdowne’s proud excitement at a forthcoming royal visit: I shall tomorrow I hope, have the satisfaction of welcoming to Calcutta His Royal Highness Prince Albert Victor of Wales.   At this time Prince Albert Victor was the eldest son of the Prince of Wales and second in line to the throne but he was to die early, leaving his younger brother to become George V.

jul31/1