A 121 year old chocolate bar
Apr 032021The candy was part of a series commissioned by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom for British troops fighting in South Africa during the Second Boer War.
A chocolate bar from a series commissioned 121 years ago by Queen Victoria to lift the spirits of British troops in South Africa was discovered this week in its original tin in the old Oxburgh Hall house in Norfolk County, on the coast. East of England.
"Although it no longer looks appetizing and has passed its expiration date - I wouldn't want it as an Easter gift - it is still complete and is an extraordinary find," Anna Forrest, curator of cultural heritage at the National Trust charity, said in a statement. manages Oxburgh Hall.
In fact, this tablet was not an Easter gift: the tin lid has a handwritten inscription by the monarch on which it can be read: "I wish you a happy new year" and "South Africa 1900".
You won’t see chocolate like this at Easter – a 121-year-old tin has been discovered @OxburghHallNT: https://t.co/YajJFvDsW7
— National Trust (@nationaltrust) March 31, 2021
Found in a Boer War helmet, the chocolate was commissioned by Queen Victoria and issued to troops to boost morale. pic.twitter.com/GpcSkSDRNH
The sweet was a gift to the eighth baronet, Sir Henry Edward Paston-Bedingfeld, who that year was fighting in South Africa during the Second Boer War (1899-1902). It was discovered among the belongings of his daughter Frances Greathead after her death in 2020 at the age of 100.
In 1951, Frances, her mother Sybil, and her cousin Violet saved Oxburgh Hall from being auctioned. The women were able to raise the necessary funds after selling their houses. Later, the family donated the house to the National Trust.