PERSONAL COPY of Princess Anne of Denmark / The Watsons A Fragment by Jane Austen / Limited to 250 Copies / Wonderful Collector's Item

When I saw the name "Bowes-Lyon" on this copy of Jane Austen's The Watsons I was immediately interested. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the maiden name of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (wife to King George VI and mother of our current Queen Elizabeth II). This copy belonged to (Anne Ferelith) Fenella Bowes Lyon she was closely related to the Queen Mother: Anne's paternal grandfather was Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, father of her aunt Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Fenella herself would go on to become Princess Anne of Denmark. Making this book, the personal copy of a central figure in the English aristocracy who would go on to become Princess of Denmark.

Not only that, this is already a collectable edition, being limited to only 250 copies and produced on beautiful handmade paper. In very good condition. Published by Oxford at the Clarendon Press in 1927 reprinted from the original manuscript.

Jane Austen's The Watsons is an unfinished novel of five chapters, often known as a fragment of a novel. She began writing it around 1803 and probably abandoned it after her father's death in January 1805. However, it was not published until 1871, as part of James Edward Austen-Leigh's Memoir. Jane Austen had left the manuscript untitled, "The Watsons" was provided by Austen-Leigh.

Inside the pages are bright, clean and tightly bound with no signs of wear at all and no writing or inscriptions. With some mild toning and tanning to the closed outside edges. The frontispiece is a collotype facsimile of the original manuscript in Austen's hand. Otherwise unillustrated.

In grey-green Ingres papered boards with cream cloth spine and paper title plate. All clean and bright. Has a bump to the front fore-edge. With the book-plate attached to the front board. The paper title plate on the spine has some chips along one edge and has tanned. There is a spare title plate attached to the end of the book as issued which is crisp and bright. You could affix the new title plate but I personally like the original with a bit of age to it.

At time of writing I also have a matching copy of Lady Susan with the book plate of Princess Anne (see separate listing). Making totally unique copies for a gift or for the collector. Your copy of The Watsons will be wrapped with care in tissue and ribbon* and sent well packaged with tracking and insurance. I am always happy to add a gift card with a message to the parcel. 

H 20 cm x W 13.5 cm, 121 pages plus many notes, 0.34 kg. I dispatch worldwide daily from the UK. With the exception of a small number of countries.

* If you would prefer for your book not to be decoratively wrapped and sent simply in the full packaging please add a note to the order.

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