Portrait of Edward Prince of Wales, 1894-1972 Wearing a Poppy in His Lapel and Holding a Copy of a "Poppy Day Report" Book

H Davies 20th Century

Portrait of Edward Prince of Wales, 1894-1972 wearing a Poppy in his lapel and holding a copy of a "Poppy Day Report" Book

Edward Prince of Wales & Edward VIII 1894-1972

signed lower right "

oil on canvas

75 x 56 cm.

The Prince of Wales is holding a copy of " Earl Haig's Appeal Fund Poppy Day Report", the reverse of the frame is inscribed " Duke of Windsor. HT Lamb. Capt. (Captain) Smith. British Legion" possibly refering to the artist Henry Taylor Lamb MC RA (1883 – 1960)

Notes

The Earl Haig British Legion received its Royal Patronage in 1925. The first Charter was granted to the British Legion, as it was known then, in 1925 by King George V. That first Charter has been changed by various Supplemental Charters to develop alongside the needs of the serving and ex-Service community, and the evolving structure of The Royal British Legion. Members of the Royal family have had a close relationship with the Royal British Legion ever since. There are many accounts of the then Prince of Wales visiting the Royal British Legion in particular their Poppy factories, there are numerous Pathe films and newspaper articles detailing his visits. HRH Edward Prince of Wales visited the Aylesford settlement, taking a great interest in the activities before becoming patron in 1921. Earl Haig is National President, Fred Lister National Chairman and Major Jack Brunel Cohen is the first Honorary Treasurer.

The then Prince of Wales was also invited to become the British Legion’s first Patron, whist Earl Haig was appointed as the British Legion’s first President and Sir Frederick Lister the National Chairman. The British Legion was founded by and for Armed Forces personnel and as a demonstration of its attitude towards its members the constitution was proposed by a soldier and seconded by a General - there would be no distinction between rank, religion or political affiliation. The Prince of Wales visited at British Legion Poppy Factory at Richmond (1929) and there is a film record by Pathe of this visit. A great many portrait medals of Edward, Prince of Wales were struck in the 1920s and 1930s using this image. Bronze bust of Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) facing left, housed within a bronze moulded frame (32cm x 31cm), the base with moulded engraving (Reproduced by special permission of H.R.H. Prince of Wales on behalf of Earl Haig's British Legion Appeal, by the Cameograph Co Ltd 45 Pall Mall S.W

During WW1, much of the fighting took place in Western Europe. The countryside was blasted, bombed and fought over repeatedly. Previously beautiful landscapes turned to mud; bleak and barren scenes where little or nothing could grow. There was a notable and striking exception to the bleakness - the bright red Flanders poppies. These resilient flowers flourished in the middle of so much chaos and destruction, growing in the thousands upon thousands.

Shortly after losing a friend in Ypres, a Canadian doctor, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was moved by the sight of these poppies and that inspiration led him to write the now famous poem 'In Flanders Fields'.

In Flanders' fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place: and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders' fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high,

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders' Fields.

The poem then inspired an American academic named Moina Michael to adopt the poppy in memory of those who had fallen in the war. She campaigned to get it adopted as an official symbol of Remembrance across the