Simon, 1st Earl Harcourt (1714-1777) was the grandson of Queen Anne's Lord Chancellor, who had been created 1st Baron Harcourt of Stanton Harcourt in 1710 and 1st Viscount Harcourt in 1721. He inherited the estates of Stanton Harcourt and Nuneham Courtney, co. Oxford, which had been bought from the Earl of Wemyss in 1710.

Lord Harcourt travelled on the Continent for four years having finished his education. On his returned home in 1735 he was made Lord of the Bedchamber to King George II aged only 22. In 1749, after the battle of Dettingen, which he had attended with the King, he was created Viscount Nuneham and 1st Earl Harcourt. It was at this time he would have commissioned the present lot. Not long after he was made governor to the Prince of Wales in 1751. On King George III's accession he was sent to Mecklenburg-Strelitz to escort his bride Charlotte Sophia to England. With him he carried a portrait miniature of the King 'richly and most prettily set round with diamonds'. A the marriage Lord Harcourt's daughter Lady Elizabeth was one of the Queen's bridesmaids 'dressed in white and silver' and wearing a diamond coronet.

Lord Harcourt was appointed Ambassador to the Court of King Louis XV in 1768. He arrived in Paris in January of the following year. His first audience with King Louis XVI took place at Versailles. During his time is Paris he acquired large quantities of the finest French silver, which later augmented with additions by by Thomas Pitts, principal supplier to Parker & Wakelin. These candlesticks remained with the family until 1993 when a large selection of the Earl's silver was sold at Sotheby's London, where they were acquired by the present owner.