The rare Companion’s badge of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India bestowed upon Blanche Julia, Dowager Countess of Mayo, in recognition of her term as Vicereine of India 1869-72

The Imperial Order of the Crown of India, oval breast badge, 67mm x 40mm, in gold, the central Royal Cypher set with diamonds, half pearls and turquoises, encircled by a pearl set border, the whole surmounted by an Imperial Crown with red enamelled cap of maintenance, the band set with small emeralds and rubies, the orb set with a pearl, mounted as worn on original Lady’s bow with gold suspension brooch, contained in a later case with gold blocked inscription, nearly extremely fine and very rare £10000-12000

Provenance: Sotheby March 1995.

The Imperial Order of the Crown of India was established by Queen Victoria in 1878, upon her becoming Empress of India. Only open to women, the Order was limited to British Princesses, wives or female relatives of Indian Princes, and of those holders of high offices such as Viceroy of India, Secretary of State for India, or Commander-in-Chief in India. The final appointees to the Order were the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret in 1947, bringing the total number of recipients to 94 before the Order was discontinued after India’s independence in that same year.

The Honourable Blanche Julia Wyndham was born on 21 November 1826, daughter of the 1st Baron Leconfield. She married in 1848 to the 6th Early of Mayo, later Viceroy of India, who was assassinated in February 1872. She was appointed to the 2nd Class of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert on 11 May 1872, to coincide with her appointment as a Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen (see Lot 523). She became an Extra Lady of the Bedchamber in 1874 and remained as such until the Queen’s death in 1901. In 1878, in recognition of her term as Vicereine of India (1869-72), she was appointed one of the founding Companions of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India, established to commemorate the Queen becoming Empress of India. The Dowager Countess of Mayo died on 31 January 1918.