A card signed by King Charles honouring the dead of one of the most famous battles of Victorian empire is a poignant insight into our monarch’s military life.
Charles was Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Wales from 1969, when he was made Prince of Wales.
He was in that role when, probably in 1979, he wrote a card decorated simply with his emblem, the famous Prince of Wales feathers:
“In memory of those courageous men of the 24th Regiment of Foot, and of the great Zulu Nation, who lost their lives during the Battle of Isandlwana on 22nd January 1879.”
He has signed the message: “Charles, Colonel-in-Chief, the Royal Regiment of Wales.”
British royal signatures are all rare, but this heartfelt card is extra revealing and very desirable. Image courtesy of Paul Fraser Collectibles.
Paul Fraser, chairman of Paul Fraser Collectibles,says the card has an extraordinary secret.
“It’s what you find on the reverse of the card that elevates this note into something far more significant,” he said.
“Because Charles has written a quote from the ‘Ode to Remembrance’.”
The words are familiar to millions from their use in Remembrance Day and Anzac Day ceremonies:
It’s unusual to get such a personal insight into the British royal family. Image courtesy Paul Fraser Collectibles.
“They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn…
We shall remember them.”
Mr Fraser says the card is extremely rare, and its military links give it a special allure for collectors.
“It is a Royal card unlike any I have ever offered before,” he said.
The Battle of Isandwala is one of the most famous military disasters of the British Empire.
In 1879, British troops (including the 24th Regiment of Foot, subsequently renamed the South Wales Borderers) invaded Zululand in what is now South Africa.
Although outnumbered, the British expected their vastly superior technology to easily outmatch their opponents.
At Isandwala, 20,000 Zulu soldiers attacked a column of British troops and their camp. The subsequent defeat ended the first invasion of Zululand and caused a major political scandal back in Britain.
Those events, and the successful British defence of Rorke’s Drift were memorably captured in the twin films, Zulu and Zulu Dawn.
A memorial to a British mass grave at the site of the Battle of Isandwala, fought in 1879.
It is likely Charles signed this note in 1979 for the centenary of the war.
At Isandwala as many as 4,300 people may have died.
Charles has met Zulu leaders in later life, saying, in 2011: “Our relationship has not always been entirely smooth, but it has always been characterized by deep admiration and respect.”
The card, which Mr Fraser believes to be unique, is for sale now at the Paul Fraser Collectibles website.
