The Library, West Horsley Place
The Sotheby’s London auction of Property & Precious Objects from the Estate of Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe had a pre-sale estimate of £1.6 – £2.3 million but after two days of keen bidding it realised a total of £3,701,654. When this is added to the amount raised by the Duchess’s jewels when auctioned earlier this month it comes to a grand total of £8,861,939. The total pre-sale estimate was £2.6 – £4 million.
Mary Crewe-Milnes before her marriage to the Duke of Roxburghe, age 19, wearing the Cartier diamond ring which sold for £167,000 (est. £8,000-12,000)
The Duchess’s heir Bamber Gascoigne commented: “I’m delighted with the results of Sotheby’s sales results which exceeded expectations, both in London and Geneva. While it has been poignant to see the extraordinary array of my aunt’s possessions go, it has been heartening to see the enthusiasm with which they were received – both prior to the sale and played out in the sale room. Importantly we are now able to start the process of restoring West Horsley Place to secure its future.”
This silver-plated breakfast-in-bed tray sold for nearly 60 times over its pre-sale
high estimate (£200-300) by selling for £17,500. That’s auctions for you!
Tim Forrest's E & A 