Unfolding Pictures: “The Skating Scene” Fan, 1863

Fan Depicting a Skating Scene
French Leaf, 1863
Leather, Mother-of-Pearl, Gold, Coral
The Royal Collection

This fan with its sheep leather leaf; carved mother-of-pearl guards and sticks; gold pin with coral heads; and gold loop formed of the initials A and E; was given to the future Queen Alexandra on the day of her 1863 wedding to the future King Edward VII by Queen Victoria’s half-sister Feodora.


The leaves are certainly French in origin while the guards and sticks may have been crafted in England. As was typical of the day, the leaf is decorated with scenes of Nineteenth Century courtly life: dancing, music-making, and most prominently, skating. These were especially important activities to Alexandra who excelled at all of them, especially ice skating for which she had a long passion. In fact, her skating in 1864 hastened the premature birth of her eldest son, The Duke of Clarence.

Queen Alexandra amassed an impressive collection of fans, but this one was always special to her because of the scenes depicted, the donor and the event it represented.