DLA123-0139 Transcription

ROYAL NAVAL BARRACKS,

PORTSMOUTH.

Dec. 18th 1924.

Dear Mr. de Laszlo,

I enclose herewith a plan which should enable your chauffeur to find our house, when you come to us on the evening of Friday January 16th. Edwina^[1] & I are so looking forward to your visit, & I will see what we can do with my cinema.

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I can’t tell you how delighted I am with it Edwina’s portrait now that you have made those marvellous changes.^[2] It was always good but now it is quite exceptional. Thank you so much.

Edwina was very thrilled with the picture you did of me [3510] and it was a real surprise^[3] –

Would it be all right if I sent for the pictures in

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a weeks time (about the 26th)

If you had them both sent to Brook House by then [illegible deletion] I could have them fetched from there.

Please ask your man to have both pictures packed in their cases, ready for travelling and if Edwina’s picture has no case perhaps he could make one by the 26th.

Again looking forward to seeing you both on the 16th

Yours very sincerely

Louis Mountbatten

Editorial Note:

Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, last Viceroy of India (1900-1979), British statesman; for biographical notes, see [3150].

21/01/2020

[1] Dame Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, née the Honourable Edwina Cynthia Annette Ashley (1901-1960) [3178]

[2] De László painted a wedding portrait of Lady Mountbatten [3178], which he inscribed “In memory of 18th July 1922”. Lady Mountbatten signed the artist’s sitters’ book on 17 January 1923 (Sitters’ Book II, f. 35). In July 1924, de László painted a study portrait of Lady Mountbatten [3520].

[3] De László painted a study portrait of Lord Louis Mountbatten [3150], which, although painted two years after their marriage, appears to be a pendant to the wedding portrait of his wife [3178].