Details
In the George III style, the rectangular cross-banded moulded top inset with a gilt-tooled red leather writing surface, above a frieze with two long cross-banded drawers, the kneehole flanked by two pedestals, each with a panelled door centred by an oval enclosing an interior with shelves, the opposing side with four drawers to each pedestal, with recessed castors, with Buckingham Palace inventory label 'GVR Buckingham Palace/ L.C.D./ Room No 236', constructed reusing earlier elements
3114 in. (79.5 cm.) high; 5312 in. (136 cm.) wide; 3514 in. (89.5 cm.) deep
Provenance
Buckingham Palace, London, Room No. 236.
Acquired in June 1930 by HRH Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess Harewood (1897-1965) from HM Queen Mary (1867-1953) for her sitting room in the State Bedroom at Harewood House, Yorkshire, thence by descent.
Literature
M. Mauchline, Harewood House, One of The Treasure Houses of Britain, Derbyshire, 1992, pl. 7.
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Lot Essay

The only daughter of H.M. King George V (d. 1936) and H.M. Queen Mary (d. 1953), H. R. H. The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess Harewood was an impressive connoisseur and collector of both objets de luxe and furniture of the highest quality; already having accumulating a sizable collection of her own by the time she and her husband moved into Harewood House in 1929.
The present pedestal desk was acquired by the Royal Princess directly from Her Majesty. Originally part of the Royal Collection at Buckingham palace, a letter from mother to daughter, dated June 1930 reads: 'So glad you like the satinwood table and you may have it with pleasure, will you give me £50 for it …Your sitting room is far more important than a bedroom here. Don't mention it to Papa as I don't think he has been in the room for years'. In a return letter to her mother, Princess Mary described how 'delighted [she was] with the satinwood writing table, it is so nice to write at and looks well in the room'.
Indeed, the piece was selected by the Princess from a bedroom at Buckingham palace specifically to match the 18th century satinwood pieces displayed in her sitting room at Harewood, including the renowned Diana and Minerva by Thomas Chippendale.

We are grateful to Rebecca Burton, Curator & Archivist at Harewood House, for providing the above letter transcription and archival information.

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