For your consideration is an exceedingly rare and historically important c. 1944 HM King Carol II of Romania hand-signed manuscript Royal Document Autographed card. Card measures approximately 5.0″ x 3.0″. Paper type is heavy luxury pulp cotton. Original envelope postmarked 1944 is also included. Guaranteed original and authentic. Royal signature in black ink. Carol II (3 October 1893 – 4 April 1953) reigned as King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. He was the eldest son of Ferdinand I and became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I in 1914. He was the first of the Hohenzollern kings of Romania to be born in the country; both of his predecessors had been born in Germany and only came to Romania as adults. As such, he was the first member of the Romanian branch of the Hohenzollerns who spoke Romanian as his first language, and was also the first member of the royal family to be raised in the Orthodox faith. Carol was also a fan of football, being the Romanian Football Federation’s president for almost one year from 1924 until 1925. Carol’s first controversy was his desertion from the army during World War I followed by his marriage to Zizi Lambrino, which resulted in two attempts to give up the rights of succession to the royal crown of Romania, refused by King Ferdinand. After the dissolution of his marriage, he made a long journey around the world, at the end of which he met Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark, daughter of King Constantine I of Greece. They married in March 1921, having a child in the same year, Prince Michael. His continued affairs with Elena Lupescu obliged him to renounce his succession rights in 1925 and leave the country. His name was removed from the royal house of Romania by King Ferdinand. Carol moved to France with Lupescu, under the name Carol Caraiman. Michael inherited the throne on the death of King Ferdinand in 1927. Princess Helen eventually divorced Carol in 1928. In the political crisis created by the deaths of Ferdinand I and Ion I. Bratianu, as well as the ineffective regency of Prince Nicholas of Romania, Miron Cristea and Gheorghe Buzdugan. Carol was allowed to return to Romania in 1930 and his name was restored by the royal house of Romania, dethroning his own son. His reign was marked at the beginning by the effects of the great economic and financial crisis. Carol II weakened the party system, often appointing minority factions of historical parties to the government and attempting to form nationally concentrated governments, such as the Iorga-Argetoianu government. He also allowed the formation of a corrupt chamber around him, under the patronage of Elena Lupescu. Taking advantage of the political crisis of the December 1937 elections, where no party achieved an absolute majority and a coalition couldn’t be formed due to disagreements between the National Liberal Party and those that could have formed a majority with them, the National Peasants Party and the Iron Guard, Carol established a royal dictatorship in 1938 by removing the 1923 constitution and abolishing the political parties, replaced by a single party, the National Renaissance Front, mostly composed of former members of the National Peasants Party and National Christian Party patronized by the king. The National Renaissance Front was the last of several attempts to counter the popularity of the fascist Iron Guard. Following the start of World War II, Carol II reaffirmed the Polish-Romanian alliance, the military assistance was however declined by Poland, who wished to follow the Romanian Bridgehead plan that required a neutral Romania. Following the fall of Poland and the involvement of the USSR, Carol II maintained a neutrality policy. After the fall of France, Carol II’s policy changed towards re-alignment with Nazi Germany in hopes of gaining a German guarantee. He was however not aware of the secret clauses of the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact that would see Romania lose significant parts of its territory. The year 1940 marked the fragmentation of Greater Romania by the loss of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to USSR, Northern Transylvania to Hungary and Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria. Although a German guarantee was finally achieved, the situation had a disastrous effect on the reputation of King Carol II. The reorientation of Romania’s foreign policy towards Nazi Germany could not save King Carol II’s regime, who was forced to abdicate by General Ion Antonescu, newly appointed prime minister. And was succeeded by his son Michael. He was allowed to leave the country with a special train loaded with fortunes, an assassination attempt was made by the Iron Guard, who fired on the train. After World War II, Carol II wanted to return to the helm of the country and dethrone his son again, but was stopped by the Western Allies. He eventually married Elena Lupescu and died in exile.
For your consideration is an exceedingly rare and historically important manuscript hand-signed Royal Presentation Photograph / Photo by HM King Alfonso XIII of Spain (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), who was also known as El Africano or the African. Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until the proclamation of the Second Republic in 1931. Rare, authentic signature of King Alfonso XIII in blue ink, also hand-inscribed. Previous mounted (see verso). Photograph measures approximately 7.25″ x 5.25″. Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 1886 until the proclamation of the Second Republic in 1931. Alfonso was a monarch from birth as his father, Alfonso XII, had died the previous year. Alfonso’s mother, Maria Christina of Austria, served as regent until he assumed full powers on his sixteenth birthday in 1902. During Alfonso’s reign of the Kingdom of Spain, it experienced four major problems that contributed to the end of the liberal monarchy: the lack of real political representation of broad social groups; the poor situation of the popular classes, especially peasants; problems arising from the Rif War; and Catalan nationalism. The political and social turbulence that began with the Spanish-American War prevented the turnaround parties from establishing a true liberal democracy, which led to the establishment of the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera. With the political failure of the dictatorship, Alfonso impelled a return to the democratic normality with the intention of regenerating the regime. Nevertheless, it was abandoned by all political classes, as they felt betrayed by the king’s support of the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. He left Spain voluntarily after the municipal elections of April 1931, which were taken as a plebiscite on abolishing the monarchy. Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alfonso XII, had died the previous year. During Alfonso’s reign of the Kingdom of Spain, the country experienced four major problems that contributed to the end of the liberal monarchy: the lack of real political representation of broad social groups; the poor situation of the popular classes, especially peasants; problems arising from the Rif War; and Catalan nationalism. [citation needed] Nevertheless, it was abandoned by all political classes, as they felt betrayed by the King’s support of the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. Alfonso was nicknamed “the Royal Knight of Charity” for his unprecedented work with the European War Office during World War I. For this endeavor, he was nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize in 1917, and came close to receiving the award, but this was ultimately won by the Red Cross. To date, he is the only monarch that had been nominated to a Nobel Prize.
For your consideration is an exceedingly rare and important hand signed Royalty King George V Signed Royal Military / Consular Diplomatic Document Autographed Commission. Embossed royal seal / coat of arms top left-hand margin. Manuscript signature of HM King George V England. Sir Matthew Walker Montgomery DL (18 April 1859 – 8 August 1933) was a Scottish businessman who served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1923 to 1926. He was born in Hutchesontown, Glasgow, the son of Daniel Montgomery and Mary Sommerville Walker. The family lived at 41 Adelphi Street in Glasgow, on the south bank of the River Clyde. The family business, making cork, was originally based at 1 Muirhead Street in the Gorbals district. He worked in his father’s firm of D. Montgomery & Son, cork manufacturers and merchants, based at 10 East Clyde Street at the turn of the century, on the north side of the River Clyde opposite the family home. From 1911 to 1913, he was Grand Master of the Glasgow Star Masonic Lodge no. He then lived at 34 Dalziel Drive in the Pollokshields district. He was painted in office by Charles Haslewood Shannon. After serving as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1923 to 1926, he was knighted in the 1926 New Year Honours. He was succeeded as Lord Provost by Sir David Mason. He died in Glasgow and is buried in the Glasgow Necropolis. The grave lies to the south-east of the upper plateau. It was restored in 2019. George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Queen Victoria, George was third in the line of succession behind his father, Prince Albert Edward, and his own elder brother, Prince Albert Victor. From 1877 to 1891, George served in the Royal Navy, until the unexpected death of his elder brother in early 1892 put him directly in line for the throne. On the death of his grandmother in 1901, George’s father ascended the throne as Edward VII, and George was created Prince of Wales. He became king-emperor on his father’s death in 1910. George V’s reign saw the rise of socialism, communism, fascism, Irish republicanism, and the Indian independence movement, all of which radically changed the political landscape. The Parliament Act 1911 established the supremacy of the elected British House of Commons over the unelected House of Lords. In 1917, George became the first monarch of the House of Windsor, which he renamed from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as a result of anti-German public sentiment. In 1924 he appointed the first Labour ministry and in 1931 the Statute of Westminster recognised the dominions of the Empire as separate, independent states within the British Commonwealth of Nations. He had smoking-related health problems throughout much of his later reign and at his death was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII. George was born on 3 June 1865, in Marlborough House, London. He was the second son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra, Princess of Wales. His father was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and his mother was the eldest daughter of King Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark. He was baptised at Windsor Castle on 7 July 1865 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Longley. As a younger son of the Prince of Wales, there was little expectation that George would become king. He was third in line to the throne, after his father and elder brother, Prince Albert Victor. George was only 17 months younger than Albert Victor, and the two princes were educated together. John Neale Dalton was appointed as their tutor in 1871. Neither Albert Victor nor George excelled intellectually. For three years from 1879, the royal brothers served on HMS Bacchante, accompanied by Dalton. They toured the colonies of the British Empire in the Caribbean, South Africa and Australia, and visited Norfolk, Virginia, as well as South America, the Mediterranean, Egypt, and East Asia. In 1881 on a visit to Japan, George had a local artist tattoo a blue and red dragon on his arm, and was received in an audience by the Emperor Meiji; George and his brother presented Empress Haruko with two wallabies from Australia. Dalton wrote an account of their journey entitled The Cruise of HMS Bacchante. After Lausanne, the brothers were separated; Albert Victor attended Trinity College, Cambridge, while George continued in the Royal Navy. He travelled the world, visiting many areas of the British Empire. During his naval career he commanded Torpedo Boat 79 in home waters then HMS Thrush on the North America station, before his last active service in command of HMS Melampus in 1891-92. From then on, his naval rank was largely honorary.
RARE Signed American Document. Signed by William Medill. As Governor of Ohio. Also signed by Secretary of State & Mexican American War Surgeon – William Trevitt. For offer, an ORIGINAL American document. Fresh from an estate in Upstate NY. Never offered on the market until now. Vintage, Old, antique, Original – NOT a Reproduction – Guaranteed!! Great piece of history. Signed by Governor of Ohio – William Medill – please see below for biography. Also signed by William Trevitt – see biography of him below as well. Signed on back by Clerk S. Simpson for Angus L. Document for John Brown as Justice of Peace for town of Huntington, Ross County. Please see two other documents I have listed for this same man, signed by other Ohio governors. Please see photo for dimensions. In good to very good condition. Please see photos for details. If you collect Americana history, American politics, America politics, etc. This is one you will not see again. A nice piece for your paper / ephemera collection. Perhaps some genealogy research information as well. William Medill (February 1802 – September 2, 1865) was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served as the 22nd Governor of Ohio from 1853 to 1856. Born in New Castle County, Delaware, Medill attended the University of Delaware and graduated in 1825. [1] After graduation, he read law and was admitted to the bar in Delaware in 1830. Medill moved to Ohio in 1830 and was admitted to the bar in Ohio in 1832. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1838, serving from 1839 to 1843. After briefly serving as the second assistant postmaster general, Medill was appointed by President Polk as Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Elected to the new post of Lieutenant Governor of Ohio in 1851, Medill entered office in 1852, serving until the resignation of Governor Reuben Wood on July 13, 1853 to take up a Consular office in Chile. He was First Comptroller of the United States Treasury from 1857 to 1861. Medill died in Lancaster in 1865, and was interred in Elmwood Cemetery in Lancaster, Ohio. [5] Medill never married. A nephew inherited his property. 22nd Governor of Ohio. July 13, 1853 – January 14, 1856. 1st Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. January 12, 1852 – July 13, 1853. Member of the U. From Ohio’s 9th district. March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843. Member of the Ohio House of Representatives. New Castle County, Delaware, U. September 2, 1865 (aged 63). William Trevitt (February 7, 1809 – February 8, 1881) was a doctor, politician, diplomat, and newspaper publisher in 19th century Ohio. He served two times as Ohio Secretary of State, three years in the Ohio House of Representatives, was a surgeon in the Mexican-American War, and was a diplomat in South America. William Trevitt was born February 7, 1809 in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, youngest son of Henry and Jane Trevitt. [1] He graduated as a doctor of medicine in the Class of 1830 from Dartmouth Medical School, [2] and moved to Baltimore, Fairfield County, Ohio, where he practiced medicine. Ohio Secretary of State Carter B. Harlan died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 9, 1840. [5] Governor Shannon appointed Trevitt to the position on a temporary basis until the Ohio General Assembly met early in 1841 to elect a successor. During the Mexican-American War, Trevitt was a surgeon with the Second Ohio Infantry. [2][7] In 1851, a new constitution in Ohio made the Secretary of State an elective position, and Trevitt defeated the Free Soil Party incumbent and a Whig, and was re-elected in 1853. He lost to a Republican for re-election in 1855, and served January 1852 to January 1856. Trevitt died in Columbus on February 8, 1881. [1][2][7] He was interred at Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio. [9] He had married Lucinda Butler in Columbus, and had six children. Ohio Secretary of State elections. 6th Ohio Secretary of State. June 1840 – 1841. 10th Ohio Secretary of State. January 12, 1852 – January 13, 1856. From the Perry County district. December 5, 1836 – December 1, 1839. Mont Vernon, New Hampshire. February 8, 1881 (aged 72). Nearby towns in Ross COunty. Richmond Dale or Richmondale.
