Henrik Wigstom was the chief workmaster at Fabergé from 1903, and created a number of boxes with views of monuments and palaces in Russia. These had been admired by the Princess of Wales, which probably influenced Fabergé's agent in London to suggest that they produce similar boxes of British royal residences. There are now five such boxes in the Royal Collection, dating to around 1908.
This box shows a view of Chatsworth and was a Christmas present from Queen Alexandra to Louise, Dowager Duchess, shortly after her husband the 8th Duke died.
There is a letter in the archives from Charlotte Knollys to the Duchess's son, Lord Charles Montagu, in which she asks that Charles collects the box for his mother as:
"H.M. is afraid to trust it to the post, as she lost something in the post last year and it is a really valuable work of art by Fabergé - (between ourselves it cost £96!)".
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