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Lot Essay
The Order of St Catherine came in two classes and was established in 1713 by Peter the Great to commemorate the heroic deeds of his consort, the future Empress Catherine I. All female members of the Russian Imperial family were awarded the Grand Cross of the Order, as were members of foreign Royal families.
According to the Cabinet ledgers, it appears that the present order was purchased by the Imperial Cabinet on 27 May 1908 for 3,750 roubles from the jeweller Bolin and was presented to Victoria Battenberg on the same day. The discovery of this entry for the present order in the Cabinet ledgers for 1908, clarifies incomplete previous accounts (see U. Tillander-Godenhielm, The Russian Imperial Award System 1894-1917, Helsinki, 2005, p. 423, and S. Levin, Orden sviatogo Andreya Pervozvannogo (1699-1917). Order sviatoy velikomuchenitsy Ekateriny (1714-1917). Spiski kavalerov i kavalerstvennyh dam, Moscow, 2003, p. 66).
Princess Victoria (1887-1969), known as Ena, was the youngest granddaughter of Queen Victoria and the cousin of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. It was two years after Victoria married King Alfonso XIII and became the Queen Consort of Spain that the present Order was awarded to her.
Stars of the Order of St Catherine are extremely rare at auction. For a full set of insignia of the Order of St Catherine, see Christie's, London, 28 November 2007, lot 22.
We are grateful to Dr Valentin Skurlov for his assistance with the research of the present lot.
According to the Cabinet ledgers, it appears that the present order was purchased by the Imperial Cabinet on 27 May 1908 for 3,750 roubles from the jeweller Bolin and was presented to Victoria Battenberg on the same day. The discovery of this entry for the present order in the Cabinet ledgers for 1908, clarifies incomplete previous accounts (see U. Tillander-Godenhielm, The Russian Imperial Award System 1894-1917, Helsinki, 2005, p. 423, and S. Levin, Orden sviatogo Andreya Pervozvannogo (1699-1917). Order sviatoy velikomuchenitsy Ekateriny (1714-1917). Spiski kavalerov i kavalerstvennyh dam, Moscow, 2003, p. 66).
Princess Victoria (1887-1969), known as Ena, was the youngest granddaughter of Queen Victoria and the cousin of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. It was two years after Victoria married King Alfonso XIII and became the Queen Consort of Spain that the present Order was awarded to her.
Stars of the Order of St Catherine are extremely rare at auction. For a full set of insignia of the Order of St Catherine, see Christie's, London, 28 November 2007, lot 22.
We are grateful to Dr Valentin Skurlov for his assistance with the research of the present lot.