OF HISTORICAL INTEREST - A mid 19th century 'Antiquarian' dark-stained oak high back side chair ...

OF HISTORICAL INTEREST - A mid 19th century 'Antiquarian' dark-stained oak high back side chair In the William and Mary style With a shaped acanthus, volute scroll and shell carved back and a husk pendant adorned shaped lapel-carved toprail surmounted by a foliate lambrequin cresting, above a baluster shaped and rosette-incised splat carved with a classical urn replete with flowers and assorted fruit, on acanthus wrapped square section cabriole front legs and splayed chamfered square section rear legs, with a ring turned baluster H-stretcher incorporating a front rail carved with volute scrolls and stylised foliage centred by a bellflower-inset lapel surmounted by a spray cresting, the reverse of the splat with an old printed paper label which reads: 'This chair was given to Archibald Balfour, son of Lady Nina Balfour, daughter of the 5th Earl of Antrim of Newton Don, Scotland (sic), by H.R.H. Prince Paul of Yugoslavia when both were undergraduates at Christ Church, Oxford (19-12-1914), Circa 1680', 52cm wide x 49cm deep x 124cm high, (20in wide x 19in deep x 48 1/2in high) Footnotes: Provenance Following the information appearing on the printed paper label applied to the reverse of the present lot, this 'Antiquarian' chair formerly belonged to HRH Prince Paul of Yugoslavia (1893-1976). Purportedly, whilst he was at Christ Church College in Oxford University, Prince Paul gave the offered chair to his fellow undergraduate, Archibald Balfour, the latter of whom was the son of Lady 'Nina' Balfour, who in turn was a daughter of the 5th Earl of Antrim of Newton Don, Northern Ireland, and of Captain Charles Barrington Balfour, a British Army Officer and Conservative Party politician. This gifting evidently took place on 19 December 1914, not long after the beginning of the First World War. Lady Helena (Nina) Balfour was married to Captain Charles Barrington Balfour, a British army officer and Conservative party politician. Many years later in 1969, a member of the extended Balfour family, Neil Balfour, married Prince Paul's only daughter, Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. The title of the Earl of Antrim was created by James I (who was James VI of Scotland prior to his unifying rule from 1603 onwards) as he felt Ireland needed a strong Gaelic presence. It was established among the peerage of Ireland, which interestingly included members of the MacDonnell family, the latter of whom in fact originated from Scotland. The noble title of Earl of Antrim thus dates back to 1620 when Randal MacDonnell was made 1st Earl of Antrim (d.1636). Paul of Yugoslavia was Prince Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during the period immediately preceding the beginning of the Second World War. Educated at Oxford university, where he was also an active member of the famous Bullingdon club, he often said he 'felt like an Englishman'. Prince Paul was a collector of paintings by Monet, Titian, Rembrandt and Van Gogh which he subsequently donated to (and are now housed in) the Museum of Serbia. Following several years of enjoying the life of an English socialite, he began to take his anointed role far more seriously after his marriage to Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark. Their wedding, which took place in 1923, coincided with when he was honoured with the additional title of Viceroy of Croatia. In the aftermath of the assassination of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia on 9 October 1934, Paul was appointed as Regent upon behalf of his eleven year old nephew, Peter II. Alexander had established a royal dictatorship following the formation of Yugoslavia in 1929. Whilst Paul did not completely restore democratic rights, he took definite steps towards that goal. He facilitated discussions between the government and opposition leaders in Croatia, culminating in the Sporazum ('Agreement') on 26 August 1939. This agreement granted significant autonomy to Croatia, but it sparked discontent among Serbian leaders. As Europe descended into war, Paul's loyalties lay with the British-French alliance, partly due to personal connections formed during his time in England, including through his brother-in-law, the Duke of Kent. Nevertheless, he attempted to maintain a neutral stance. The disintegration of the 'Little Entente' had weakened Yugoslavia's influence within the region, and Paul eventually succumbed to Adolf Hitler's demands, aligning the nation with the Axis powers. On 27 March 1941, just two days after signing a treaty with Germany, Paul was overthrown in a coup led by General Dušan Simović and other air force officers. He fled to Greece, where he was captured by British troops. The remainder of the war saw him interned in Kenya and South Africa. Following the war, the communist Yugoslav government labelled him an enemy of the state, yet the Allies did not prosecute him for war crimes. In 1949, he settled in Paris, where he lived out the rest of his life in exile. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information. For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. 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