Bonhams is selling the contents of the late Lord Glenconner’s property, ‘Beau House’, St Lucia, on behalf of the Glenconner Trustees and Estate on Wednesday 28 September 2011 at 2pm in New Bond Street, London.
The items from Princess Margaret, lots 85, 138 and 142, highlight the close links between the two families. Lot 85 is a silver novelty snuff box by John Donald, London 1976 in the form of a book, the cover engraved with a depiction of The Glen, the Glenconner family home in Scotland. The spine has a flush hinge and is engraved GLEN. The gilt interior is engraved ‘to Colin for your 50th birthday with Love from ‘crowned’ MR’, length 6.5cm, weight 3.5oz. It is estimated to sell for £1,000-1,500.
Lot 142 is a pair of double-sided cufflinks in green chalcedony spheres, presented to Lord Glenconner by Princess Margaret on another of his birthdays. They are estimated to sell for £1,000-1,500.
Lot 138 is a framed drawing on glass, The Great House, Mustique, 1986, 1986, an image of Lord Glenconner’s House in Mustique inscribed to the bottom left corner: To Colin with my best wishes for your 60th birthday with love from Margaret, December 1st 1986, signed with monogram lower right IAI, 35cm high x 41cm wide. It is estimated to sell for £800-1,200.
When Princess Margaret visited Mustique on honeymoon Lord and Lady Glenconner offered her a piece of land as a wedding present to build a house on.
The 3rd Lord Glenconner, formerly Colin Tennant, was best known for transforming the barren Caribbean island of Mustique into a luxurious and glamorous playground for the rich and famous. In the 1960s and ’70s, the island became renowned for sensational parties with guest lists of aristocrats, rock stars and royalty.
From Mustique, Lord Glenconner moved to St Lucia in the early 1990s, together with his pet elephant, and settled in ‘Beau House’ which is idyllically located between the two Pitons in the south-east of this exotic island. On St Lucia he was appointed Ambassador of Tourism and developed his land as a World Heritage Site.
The sale includes a wonderful selection of Caribbean and Anglo Indian furniture – perfect for a tropical climate – Islamic and Indian art, Chinese ceramics, silver, works of art, jewellery, pictures. They reflect a man of taste, foresight and considerable philanthropy, with many objects providing insight into a way of life from a previous era.
