This card was sent to Marie, Mrs Leopold de Rothschild (1852-1937) from Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge (1833-1897) at the start of 1897. Marie married Leopold de Rothschild (1845-1917) at Gunnersbury on 19 January 1881, a marriage attended by the Prince of Wales. The couple remained close to Royal circles, developed through a mutual love of horseracing. Princess Mary Adelaide is remembered as the mother of Queen Mary, the wife of King George V. She was one of the first royals to patronise a wide range of charities, and was great-grandmother of Elizabeth II. This expensive luxury card is typical of the period, printed with raised embossed holly leaves and bells, and features an intricate cut-out design.
The message inside, attributed to the Victorian verse writer Helen Marion Burnside reads: “Happy New Year to You. A blithe New Year – This card I send, Its opening hours to cheer, May Fortune kind your steps attend, Good Luck be always near.”
