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U.K. Blocks Export of Queen Victoria’s Coronet
Aug 28, 2016 10:36 AM
By Rapaport News
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RAPAPORT... The U.K. culture minister has temporarily barred Queen
Victoria’s sapphire and diamond coronet from leaving the country, with the
jewel at risk of being exported unless a buyer can be found to match the asking
price.
The coronet, one of the most important jewels of Queen
Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901, has a price tag of $6.6 million (GBP 5
million) plus $1.3 million of value-added tax, the Department for Culture,
Media & Sport said. It was designed by Prince Albert, her husband, for the
monarch in their wedding year of 1840.
The decision on the export license application will be
deferred until December 27. This may be extended until June 27, 2017, if a
potential buyer shows a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it at the asking
price.
The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and
Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA) made the recommendation for the deferral.
The conclusion was on the grounds of the piece’s “close connection” with
British “history and national life” and its significance for the study of the
young Queen Victoria.
“It evokes vividly the shared romantic taste of the time,
and its form has become familiar through many reproductions,” said Philippa
Glanville, member of the RCEWA. “Its departure would be a great loss, given its
beauty, its associations and its history.”
“Queen Victoria’s coronet is stunning,” said culture
minister Matt Hancock. “It is one of the most iconic jewels from a pivotal
period in our history and symbolizes one of our nation’s most famous love
stories. I hope that we are able to keep the coronet in the U.K. and on display
for the public to enjoy for years to come.”
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Tags:
Coronet, Department for Culture Media & Sport, diamond, Matt Hancock, Philippa Glanville, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria, Queen Victoria's coronet, Rapaport News, RCEWA, Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, sapphire
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