Rare 1901 Simon's Town Royal Commemorative Medal

 Rare 1901 Simon's Town Royal Commemorative Medal & Ribbon

This silver/white metal medal with red, white and blue ribbon plus pin was issued to commemorative the visit to Simon's Town in August, 1901, by Their Royal Highnesses (TRH) the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York. They were crowned King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. Note the ribbon is faded and discoloured.

Their visit was part of a larger British Colonies tour including Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand but not India to show royal appreciation for their support during the Boer War. The tour was undertaken despite the death just prior of Queen Victoria.

The royal party sailed in the steam ship HMS Ophir and the Duke used the tour to award Anglo Boer War medals to veterans in the colonies.

A memorial to their visit was erected by the citizens of Cape Town in front of the old Somerset Hospital in Green Point.

The medal with a mass of 19g features the conjoined busts of the Duke and Duchess, he in uniform,with the scroll: T.R.H.THE DUKE & DUCHESS OF CORNWALL & YORK.

The obverse features of the Coat of Arms of the Cape Colony with supporters, Hope crest and motto: SPES BONA. Above in concentric arcs: TO COMMEMORATE THE VISIT OF TRH, and below: THE DUKE & DUCHESS OF CORNWALL & YORK TO SIMON'S TOWN 1901.

Steamship HMS Ophir