Beschreibung:

Queen Victoria.- Shakespeare (William) The Dramatic Works of ..., portrait frontispiece, additional vignette title, previous owner's ink inscription, plates, occasional spotting, final 2 leaves and free endpaper detached, morocco spine with oak boards, brass studs (lacking 1) and engraved brass shield to upper cover, slight bumping to spine extremities, 8vo, 1863. ⁂ The inscription reads; "Richard R. Holmes 1882. Given by the Queen to Dean Wellesley, and after his death, given to me, as a memorial of him, by his widow." Dean Gerald Wellesley (1809-1882) was Dean of Windsor and a trusted advisor to both Queen Victoria and Gladstone. Richard R. Holmes was Royal Librarian at Windsor Castle. The brass shield to the upper cover reads; "Herne's Oak. Blown down in the Home Park Windsor August 31st 1864." Herne's Oak became widely popularised after it's mention in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor', and in Harrison Ainsworth's 1843 novel 'Windsor Castle.' Various trees in Windsor's Home Park have been believed to be 'Herne's Oak' including the tree used in this binding. After this tree was blown down Queen Victoria had another tree planted at the same spot, which then also became known as 'Herne's Oak'.