Lot 30000 – 1865 Letter from Queen Victoria to the Emperor of Japan 1865,

LETTER FROM QUEEN VICTORIA TO THE TYCOON OF JAPAN THE EMPEROR KŌMEI

1865, Signed letter from Queen Victoria in the twenty-eighth year of her reign, addressed to the Tycoon of Japan the Emperor Kōmei. Including the original envelope carried by diplomatic mail, addressed to “The High, Mighty, and Glorious Prince His Imperial and Royal Majesty The Tycoon of Japan, Our Good Brother and Cousin!”, with Royal dry seal with coat of arms on reverse (torn on opening) “VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM REG.F.D” (REG F. D. for “regina fidei defensor”), “Victoria by the Grace of God Queen of the Britains, Defender of the Faith”, as well as “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE” for “shamed be whoever thinks ill of it”.

The letter begins with “Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (…) to the most High, Mighty, and Glorious Prince, His Imperial and Royal Majesty the Tycoon of Japan (…)”. The missive continue with: “the services of Our Trusty and Well beloved Sir Rutherford Alcock, Knight Commander of Our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, who for some time resided at the Court of Your Imperial and Royal majesty in the Character of Our Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, we cannot omit to notify to You that his functions in that capacity, have terminated (…) being however anxious to maintain without interruption the Relations of Friendship and good Understanding which happily subsists between Our respective Empires (…)”. Then stating that Sir Harry Smith Parkes will be the person appointed to replace Sir Rutherford Alcock in this position. Before the signature of the Queen, the letter concludes with “Your Imperial and Royal Majesty’s affectionate Sister and Cousin”, signed “Victoria R” as Queen, and below we find the “Russell” signature from the Secretary of State Lord John Russel.

An early and extremely rare Queen Victoria – Tenno Kōmei letter, including the envelope and a significant missive, from the period when Japan started to open outwards.