Fans of this form were popular in Europe from the mid-nineteenth century. In these fans, which may derive from Chinese painted feather fans, the decoration continues from leaf to leaf. In the present case the decoration includes the emblems of the British Isles - rose, shamrock and thistle - with swags of lilies-of-the-valley and ribbons. In the centre of the leaf is Queen Victoria’s monogram VR surmounted by a crown, while in the centre of the gorge is the Queen’s cipher, employing the letters VR and A (for her first name, Alexandrina), with her crown and the date 24 May 1858, her thirty-ninth birthday. Flower symbolism was very popular during the Victorian period and lily-of-the-valley was the ‘birth flower’ of the month of May. Queen Victoria’s thirty-ninth birthday was spent quietly at Osborne, with the remaining members of her family. She is shown holding the fan in a photograph taken in 1860.

This fan survives with its original box - similarly decorated with flowers, monogram and crown - bearing the trade label of Mme Rebours of 17 Rue Rousselet, Faubourg Saint-Germain, Paris. A very similar fan, also dated 1858 but with a different flower decoration and a crowned V (rather than VR as here), was made for the Princess Royal at the same time. ‘Madame Rebours (Alexandrine)’ received a royal warrant on 20 December 1858, which may be associated with the production of these fans.

Text adapted from Unfolding Pictures: Fans in the Royal Collection 2005