Dutch Engraved Royal Armorial Princess Anne Princess of Orange Newcastle Light Baluster c1750

Description

Heading : Dutch engraved Royal Armorial Newcastle light baluster wine glass
Period : George II – George III – c1750
Origin : England – Dutch engraving
Colour : Clear
Bowl : Bell – Engraved with the coat of arms of Princess Anne. Princess of Orange ( 1709-1759) the eldest daughter of King George II and married to William IV Stadtholder and Regent of the Netherlands. The armorial is supported by the lion and the unicorn of the British royal family. Beneath is inscribed “DIEU EST MON DROIT”*
Stem : Light baluster
Stem Features : Two An angular knops above and below a ball knop. A further inverted baluster knop
Foot : Conical
Pontil : Snapped
Glass Type : Lead
Size : 17.6cm height. 7.6cm diameter bowl. 7.9cm diameter foot.
Condition : Excellent. no chips or cracks.
Restoration : None
Weight: 183 grams

The literal translation of the motto is God is my right. a reference to the monarchy’s divine right to rule. This is a controversial version of the motto – it should be “DIEU ET MON DROIT” – meaning God and my right – a reference to the British Monarchy’s (legally sound) claim to the French throne first adopted by Henry V.

The earliest example of the version found on the glass we can find is from Diderot’s Encyclopédie. It’s hardly a surprise that a Frenchman would like to hide the fact that he’d been ruled by a usurping family since the outrage of 1328 when Edward III was wrongfully denied the French Crown sparking the Hundred Years War. The chances are the engraver would have been illiterate and following a template and thus cannot be accused of making error. This is intentional

It is entirely credible that this may also be considered to be a barb directed at the house of Stuart who maintained the motto Dieu Et Mon Droit.