'Mournful Maiden' Caddy Spoon, 1822

This Georgian silver caddy spoon is embossed to the oval bowl with a scene depicting a mournful maiden with her dog within a wreath vignette. The handle is plain in design with an engraved betrothal triangle to the terminal. The spoon is in fine condition with a clear set of Birmingham hallmarks including the maker's mark of John Bettridge.

The scene on this bowl is often thought to lament the premature death of Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817) who was the only legitimate child of the future King George IV and his queen, Caroline of Brunswick. She was a popular figure and her death set off tremendous mourning among the British, who had seen her as a sign of hope and a contrast both to her unpopular father and to her grandfather (King George III), whom they deemed mad. If she had outlived her father she would have become Queen.