5RR Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate, London: Macmillan and Co., 1884. Four volumes (of eight). 171x115 mm. Inscribed with a poem and signed by Tennyson to Princess Louise.
Notes
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) was one of the most celebrated poets of the Victorian era, known for his masterful use of language, deep exploration of human emotion, and engagement with themes of heroism, loss, and the passage of time. As Poet Laureate from 1850 until his death, he shaped the literary voice of an age marked by rapid industrial change, scientific advancement, and national expansion. His works, including In Memoriam A.H.H., The Charge of the Light Brigade, and Idylls of the King, reflected both personal grief and broader national concerns, solidifying his status as the poetic voice of Victorian Britain. Tennyson was a favorite of Queen Victoria and her family, who admired the emotional depth and grandeur of his verse. His poetry was read widely in royal circles, and he developed friendships with several members of the royal family.
Among these was Princess Louisa Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein, the daughter of Princess Helena, who, like her mother, held a deep admiration for Tennyson’s work. Louisa grew up in an intellectual and literary household where his poetry was cherished, and she formed a warm friendship with the aging poet. Though their relationship was more intellectual than frequent, she, like many of her family, appreciated his wisdom and artistic genius. Tennyson’s ability to capture both personal sorrow and national sentiment made him a figure of great reverence among the Victorian elite, and his influence extended across generations, shaping the literary and cultural landscape of Britain well beyond his lifetime.
Description
Full vellum binding. Corners of the covers are decorated with two crossed “L”s surmounted by a crown embossed in gilt the monogram of Princes Louise Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein. The spines are decorated with two gilt floral elements and gilt lettering. All edges gilt. White silk doublures with double fillet gilt boarders of a wavy line inside a straight one with a flower decorationion in the former and lavishly decorated turn-ins. Front bookplate has the paste down bookplate of Princess Louisa Augusta. Frontispiece portrait of Tennyson in volume one.
The recto of one of the preliminary pages of volume one has a long inscription by Tennyson recording the gift of these volumes, “together with a diamond crescent [to] her Highness Princess Louise Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein by Matrons, Sister and Nurses of Great Britain and Ireland on the occasion of her marriage”. Following a note of appreciation is a four line verse by Tennyson addressed to the bride:
Take, Lady, what your Royal nurses give,
This full God-Bless-you with this book of song,
And may the life which heart-in-heart, you live
With him you love be cloudless and long!
July - 1891
The marriage he spoke of was to Prince Albert of Anhalt. Unfortunately, it was neither cloudless nor long. It ended in 1900 amid rumors of the Princes relationship with a male servant of his. It transpired that the marriage was never consummated and the Princess devoted herself instead to Royal and charitable duties.
The poem dedicated to the Princess is printed in Hallam Tennyson’s memoir of his father which also records the gift of this collection of his works to her. Hallam also notes that his father would go on walks with Princess Louisa where they wold talk of all manner of things including the writing of poetry about which Hallam mentions his father would say, “A crooked share, Madam, may make a straight furrow”. Such detail on their relationship and this particular set of books in his memoir is noteworthy of the objects Royal provenance and the Poet Laureates close friendship to one of his Royal Patrons.
