'˜Lost' gifts show Harrogate's link to Russian royal family

Now, more than a century later two “lost” items, including an extravagant present bought for one of the babies, are set to go on display in the spa town after they were bought at auction for £20,000.

An intricate jewelled cutlery set and a scrapbook of personal letters, including one from celebrated jeweller Carl Fabergé, will form part of an existing exhibition on the Russian Royal family at the Royal Pump House Museum.

Jane Sellars, curator of cultural Services at Harrogate Museums, which purchased the artefacts, said: “These treasures will be a great new attraction at the Royal Pump Room Museum and will help us to fill in the gaps in the story of the Russian Royal family’s connection to Harrogate.”

Princess Alix of Hesse, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and future wife of Nicholas II, the last ruler of the Russian Empire, visited Harrogate 123 years ago to take in the spa waters and undergo a cure for sciatica.

During her time there, the princess stayed at Cathcart House, a leading boarding house near the town’s famous Stray, which was run by the Allen family.

On discovering that Mrs Allen had recently given birth to twins, the princess asked to stand as their godmother and proposed that the children could be named after her and her husband to be, Tsar Nicholas II.

The ornate cutlery set, which was made by the Imperial Russian jewellers, Grachev, and is still in its original presentation box, was given to the twin girl Alix Allen by the Russian Tsarina in 1895 after she became Empress of Russia.

The scrapbook contains an assortment of letters and news clippings from the time of the princess’s visit and documents the connection between the Russian Royal family and the Allen family. Also contained are letters from Russian jeweller, Carl Fabergé, requesting photographs of Cathcart House so that the hotel could be used in the design of an Imperial Easter egg, along with telegrams from Queen Alexandra to Princess Victoria.

The story of the Russian princess’s stay at Cathcart House, her desire to stand as godmother and the gifts she sent to her godchildren until she was executed in 1918 is currently told in the Royal Pump Room Museum and is illustrated by objects donated by the son of Nicholas Allen, the twin boy.

The new acquisitions provide a fascinating insight into Alix Allen’s part in the story, which have been missing from the collection.

Ms Sellars said: “The whereabouts of the cutlery set and scrapbook, which related to the female twin’s half of the story, had been unknown until now. The extra depth of detail that they bring to Harrogate’s history is both an important and exciting prospect.

“I would like to thank the Friends of Harrogate District Museums, the Friends of the Mercer Art Gallery, the Arts Council of England/V&A Purchase Fund and the Art Fund for their contributions which have helped us to purchase these artefacts.”