Fascinating diary belonging to Princess Diana’s great-great-grandmother, in which she listed all the men she danced with at balls, goes up for auction
A fascinating diary kept by Princess Diana’s great-grandmother in which she listed all the balls she attended and the men she danced with has come to light.
Adelaide Horatia Elizabeth Seymour was a member of Victorian Britain’s social elite who was invited to numerous balls, banquets and gatherings during the ‘London Season’.
As an attractive 19-year-old born into an aristocratic family – she was a direct descendant of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife – she would have been launched into society to find a husband.
And judging by her ‘charming aide memoir’ there was no shortage of potential suitors waltzing with her in the ballrooms of some of London’s best residences in the spring of 1844 and 1845.
Adelaide made a note of the date and place of each event she attended, the name of the host and all the men who asked her to dance.
A fascinating diary kept by Princess Diana’s great-grandmother in which she listed all the balls she attended and the men she danced with has come to light
She also made summative comments about some of the balls.
For example, for Madame St Aulaire’s deed of 2 May 1844 she wrote: ‘Dreadfully crowded & could not get into the ballroom until very late.’
However, she found the Duke of Devonshire’s ball at Chiswick House on 17 May to be ‘a charming ball’.
On most of the occasions Adelaide danced quadrille and waltzes and her distinguished partners included several gentlemen and ‘Prince Edward’.
Adelaide had to wait 10 years before she married Vice Admiral Frederick Spencer, the 4th Earl Spencer.
Their great grandson was John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer, who was Princess Diana’s father.
The booklet, which Adelaide called ‘Balls and My Partners 1844-45’, fell out of another book bought by antiques collector Peter Hone about 40 years ago.
Mr Hone recalled that the book sale had links to Bagshot Park, the current home of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.
Adelaide Horatia Elizabeth Seymour (pictured) was a member of Victorian Britain’s social elite who was invited to numerous balls, banquets and gatherings during the ‘London Season’
Princess Diana bore a striking resemblance to her great-grandmother (photographed during a royal tour of Nigeria in 1990)
And judging by her ‘charming aide memoir’ there was no shortage of potential suitors waltzing with her in the ballrooms of some of London’s best residences in the spring of 1844 and 1845.
He has kept it at his London flat ever since. Its true meaning has only now been realized as he prepares to auction off some of the contents as his flat.
Mimi Connell Lay, of Lay’s Auctioneers of Penzance, Cornwall, researched the booklet and discovered the identity of its author.
She said: ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. It is a lovely and fascinating record of all the balls she attended, the dances and dances and of course the partners she danced with.
‘This was all during the ‘London Season’ in Victorian Britain when the great and the good held fancy balls almost every night. It’s like something out of Sense and Sensibility, but it was real life.
‘Adelaide Seymour was obviously very well connected because she was invited to so many of these events.
‘She must also have been very attractive judging by all the distinguished men who asked her to dance.
‘The booklet is small, about 10 cm by 11 cm. She cut up sheets of paper and stitched them together. There are probably 20 pages in total.’
For example, for Madame St Aulaire’s doing of 2 May 1844 she wrote: ‘Terribly crowded and could not get into the Ball Room till very late’
The booklet, which Adelaide titled ‘Balls and My Partners 1844-45’, fell out of another book bought by antiques collector Peter Hone about 40 years ago.
For 1845 she attended 44 balls, four breakfasts and three teas and danced 373 times, including 134 waltzes and 118 polkas
On the last page of the booklet, Adelaide picked up all the balls she went to. For 1844 she worked out she went to 32 balls and danced 291 times
On the last page of the booklet, Adelaide picked up all the balls she went to.
For 1844 she worked out she went to 32 balls and danced 291 times.
For 1845 she attended 44 balls, four breakfasts and three teas and danced 373 times, including 134 waltzes and 118 polkas.
Some of the men she danced with included Lord Worcester, Lord Northland, Lord Curzon and Leopold Paget.
The last two men must have competed for Adelaide’s love, as their names appear repeatedly in her notebook.
The booklet will go on sale on Thursday and had a pre-sale estimate of £400.