1894 Princess Frederica of Hanover ALS to 4th Baron de Saumarez Greek Royalty GR For Sale

For your consideration is an exceptionally fine original autograph letter signed by Princess Frederica of Hanover (18481926), dated 30 June 1894, written entirely in her hand from Mouriscot, Bois-de-Boulogne, Biarritz, and addressed to James St Vincent Saumarez (18431937), 4th Baron de Saumarez. The letter concerns a charitable sale organized by the Ladies Committee of the Working Ladies Guild, and Frederica warmly thanks Saumarez for allowing the use of his pretty house & grounds for the event. She praises his support of what she calls an excellent & useful cause that she had so much at heart, regrets that she could no longer take as active a part while away from England, and closes with wishes for fine weather and success for the sale.
The manuscript is written in dark ink on Fredericas personal Mouriscot stationery, printed MOURISCOT / BOIS-DE-BOULOGNE / BIARRITZ and impressed at the upper left with a blind-embossed crowned monogram or cipher. The date June 30 /94 appears in her hand at the head of the first page, and the letter concludes with the emphatic autograph closing Yours truly, Frederica, the signature boldly underlined. The sheets retain original mailing folds and light age-related handling while remaining well preserved and legible. The Mouriscot heading is especially significant, providing direct primary evidence of Fredericas use of the residence as a correspondence address by June 1894.
The recipient, James St Vincent Saumarez, 4th Baron de Saumarez, was a former Captain in the Grenadier Guards, a career British diplomat, and a member of one of Britains most distinguished Anglo-Guernsey families. He had served in diplomatic posts including Paris, Berlin, Athens, Japan, Rome, and Brussels before succeeding to the barony in 1891. He was also descended from Admiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez (17571836), one of the most notable Royal Navy commanders of the Napoleonic era. This identification gives the letter added social and historical significance, linking Princess Fredericas charitable work directly with a prominent British aristocratic and diplomatic household.
Princess Frederica, daughter of King George V of Hanover and Queen Marie and a great-granddaughter of King George III of Great Britain, was deeply involved in charitable causes throughout her adult life, particularly those concerning women, children, the blind, and the deaf. Her association with the Working Ladies Guild was sustained rather than incidental, making this letter an important personal record of her philanthropic activity. The manuscript also carries documented modern provenance, having been offered by Chiswick sales, London, on 4 December 2020, Lot 441, where it was cataloged as an autograph letter signed by Princess Frederica to Captain de Saumarez concerning the Working Ladies Guild sale. Combining substantial royal autograph content, personal crowned stationery, a significant identified recipient, direct charitable subject matter, and traceable sale provenance, it is a particularly evocative document of Hanoverian royal life, Victorian philanthropy, and British aristocratic society.

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