This lace collar has a royal connection. It was presented to RAMM by the daughter of HRH Princess Alice, the Countess of Athlone (1883-1981) to whom it belonged. As Princess Alice of Albany she was a grand-daughter to Queen Victoria and the daughter of Prince Leopold and Princess Helen, the Duke and Duchess of Albany.
The collar was made in East Devon by a very skilled lacemaker. It is of exceptional quality, with a design of stylised flowers and leaves. Honiton filling stitches complete the sprig motifs and also form the ground. If you look closely you can see that the fillings change direction, and even the construction changes within the same area. Charlotte Treadwin, a lace manufacturer based at 5 Cathedral Close, often used this technique in her designs. Charlotte was also lace-maker by appointment to HM Queen Victoria.
