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1863 - Reilly and a "Royal Warrant"

Stephen Nash in his excellent line on pin-fires:
https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=574708&page=20
Made this comment:

"Royals set the trends and fashions in Victorian society, and gunmakers vied for royal appointments. Having a non-London maker obtain a royal patronage is unusual enough, and one doing so would make full use of this in their advertising � even after their patron�s death. Today we can look at such an instance, from a provincial gunmaker who was the favourite of Albert, [censored - come on man!] Victoria�s husband."

In the "New History of Reilly," the following statement is made:

"Throughout the 1860's Reilly guns were purchased by various members of the British royal family, usually to give as gifts to foreign dignitaries or persons who had done favors for the family. Reilly tried to obtain, but without success, a Royal Warrant as 'Gun Maker to the Royal Family'."

Because by chance there is a similar observation in the IGC history of Reilly, following are the reasons for the above deduction (totally independent of IGC "copyrights') - (previously posted about p. 18 but reiterated) - and unlike IGC, every statement in this "New History" has been footnoted - with interpretations which can be disputed in open debate.

In 1863, Reilly appeared to obsequiously solicit the favor of the Royal family by putting out huge gas stars on his store-front upon the marriage of the Prince of Wales in March 1863, and another similar event in November 1863.

11 Mar 1863,"London Daily News" (The whole London press was filled up with pages of reports on the illumination of the city in celebration) - Reilly advertised as "gun-makers to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales":

16 Mar 1863, London Daily News:


And again in November for some Royal birthday or something...this from the 10 November 1863 edition of the "London Evening News" advertising himself as "Gun Maker to the Royal Family":


Well, obviously this didn't sit well with the Royals..and in the 1860's the UK public was even more dedicated to the Royal family than it is now.

This article appeared in the 24 March 1863 edition of the "Morning Advertiser." Prince Albert, the consort of [censored - come on man!] Victoria died in 1861. "Prince Albert" thus refers to the Prince of Wales, who was sent abroad on a "tour" in 1862, including South Africa, because of his libido. In which case Reilly was claiming to be a gunmaker for the Royal Family based on their buy of Reilly guns to give as gifts.

Edit: This article refers to Prince Alfred, not Prince Albert. Prince Alfred was [censored - come on man!] Victoria's second son. He later became Duke of Edinburgh, Admiral of the Fleet, and ended his life as Duke of Saxe-Coburg. He also gave Reilly guns as presents when he visited India in 1870. Thus, have no idea why Reilly claimed to have been "gun-maker" for the Prince of Wales.

Prince Albert Edward in 1862, later Edward VII in May 1862 after his tour (a notorious bounder at the time - [censored - come on man!] Victoria blamed him for her husband's death - Flashman got him laid (though why he would need help is beyond me) according to the Flashman papers of George McDonald Faser):



Prince Albert [censored - come on man!] Consort in 1859. But he did well. 5 daughters - later queens of Russia, Romania, Prussia, etc.


Prince Alfred in 1862:


This history of Reilly really has hinged on a few (or a lot) of newspapers articles and a good bit of interpretation. Never again after 1863 did Reilly try to say he was a gun-maker for the Royal family. Apparently this Irish Catholic upstart was slapped down and quickly. (And, one must admit that Reilly was not above using nefarious business tactics and trying to take a mile from an inch. For instance, it may be that Reilly's 1869 patent application for exploding rifle rounds was just a rip-off of Col. Jacob's 1856 invention).

Addendum: Prince Alfred gave gold washed Reilly as gifts in India during his visit in 1870 - much commented on in the April 1870 press...this from 16 April 1870 "Homeward Bound"