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Auction: 25001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 368

(x) The M.V.O., M.B.E. group of three awarded to Miss A. David, whose career in the Foreign Office spanned decades, she flew to Munich with Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in 1938 as part of the official delegation to his infamous 'Peace in Our Time' meeting with Adolf Hitle

Royal Victorian Order, Member’s (M.V.O.) ladies shoulder Badge, silver-gilt and enamel, reverse officially numbered ‘L23’, mounted on bow as worn, in its Collingwood Jewellers Ltd., 24 Conduit St. case of issue; The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Civil) Member’s 2nd Type ladies shoulder Badge, silver, in its Royal Mint case of issue; Persia, Empire, Order of the Crown (Taj), 4th Class breast Badge, by Arthus Bertrand, Paris, 65mm including suspension x 46mm, silver-gilt, gilt and enamel, in its Arthus Bertrand, Paris case of issue, slight cracks to Order of the Crown enamel, otherwise very fine overall (3)

M.V.O. London Gazette 1 January 1963.

M.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1949.

Order of the Taj London Gazette 21 December 1965:

'The Queen has been pleased to give and grant unto Miss Alison David, M.V.O., M.B.E., Her Majesty’s Royal license and authority to wear the decoration of the Insignia of the Order of the Taf Fourth Class, which has been conferred upon her by his Imperial Majesty the Shahanshah of Iran in recognition of valuable services rendered by her as Private Secretary to His Excellency the Iranian Ambassador in London.'

Alison David was born about 1909 and had a decades-long career in the Foreign Office, including acting as the private secretary to Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour and National Service during the Second World War. She was included on many international trips in her capacity as a member of the Foreign Office.

The Western Press & Bristol Mirror reported on 30 August 1949 that Bevin was taking David with him on a trip in his capacity Foreign Secretary to Washington D.C. on board the Mauritania. The Aberdeen Press & Journal further reported on 1 September 1949 that:

'Miss David, who has held her top-ranking job at the Foreign Office since before the war, knows most of the world statesmen. She has been to Moscow, Potsdam and Berlin with Sir William Strang: to Paris, Brussels, The Hague and Strasbourg with Mr. Bevin; and to San Francisco with Mr. Eden. She also flew to Munich with Mr. Neville Chamberlain.'

She appears on passenger lists of the Queen Mary between New York and Southampton in 1950 and 1951; sold together with copied research including photographs of David appearing in the same photograph as Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain saluting the crowd prior to his departure to Munich in 1938, where the Munich Agreement would then be signed, with David departing with Chamberlain on that same flight.

Also sold together with original signed warrants and assorted related investiture documents, as well as a vintage print of Queen Elizabeth II mounted on card.

For her miniature dress medals, please see Lot 442.



Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£300 to £500

Starting price
£260