The Broadlands 'Harshang' Carpet
18th June 2019
A carpet that bore witness to not one, but two Royal honeymoons is being sold in Salisbury on 3rd July.
The large 19th century North West Persian carpet has graced the floor of Broadlands near Romsey, the home of the Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma, for many years and is now being sold at auction with an estimate of £5,000-8,000 (lot 316).
The Broadlands estate was the home of Louis Mountbatten, born Prince Louis of Battenberg, the uncle of Prince Philip, and was the honeymoon destination for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in November 1947. Mountbatten’s mentorship of the young Prince Charles meant that on his marriage to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 the young couple also spent the first three days of their honeymoon staying on the Romsey estate.
The Queen was back at Broadlands in 2016 for the marriage of the Honourable Alexandra Knatchbull, daughter of the Earl and Countess Mountbatten, and the family maintain close links with their royal cousins – the Earl Mountbatten being godfather to Prince William.
The Persian carpet is of an unusual square design and, as such, was a good fit in the Ante Room at Broadlands where it lay to greet guests over many years. A little worn in places it will carry an estimate of £5,000-8,000 when it comes under the hammer at Woolley and Wallis salerooms.
