This book on the history of the Geographical Society of Lisbon was presented to Queen Elizabeth II on her State Visit to Portugal in 1957. It is a companion to another book given to the Queen that described the visit of King Edward VII to the institute on his own State Visit to the country in 1903 (see RCIN 1029642). Unlike the companion volume, which incorporates furniture depicting the Royal Coat of Arms and the arms of Portugal (both the kingdom and the republic) with the Lesser George on its front board, this book has included the same elements but tooled in gold leaf.

Due to its binding, this book was one of those selected by Olwen Hedley in the 1960s as a fine example of bookbinding in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. Hedley’s ‘Additional Bookbindings’ serve as a supplement to the catalogue of fine bindings compiled in 1893 by the Royal Librarian Richard Rivington Holmes.