Albert Henry Stopford (16 May 1860 – 10 February 1939), known as Bertie Stopford, was a British antiques and art dealer specialising in Fabergé and

Cartier Cartier may refer to: People * Cartier (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Cartier Martin (born 1984), American basketball player Places * Cartier Island, an island north-west of Australia that is part of Australi ...

and diplomatic courier; he was an intimate of the

Romanovs The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russia. Nic ...

. He rescued the jewels of Grand Duchess Vladimir the Elder during the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

Life

Saint Petersburg 2009 tourist pictures 0096

Stopford's father, the

Reverend The Reverend (abbreviated as The Revd, The Rev'd or The Rev) is an honorific style (form of address), style given to certain (primarily Western Christian, Western) Christian clergy and Christian minister, ministers. There are sometimes differen ...

Frederick Manners Stopford, was a grandson of the 3rd

Earl of Courtown The Earl of Courtown, in the County of Wexford, is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 12 April 1762 for James Stopford, 1st Baron Courtown. He had previously represented County Wexford and Fethard in the Irish House of Commo ...

. He had been a student in arts, but was a rector between 1861 and 1912 at

Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire Titchmarsh is a village and civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a parish population of 543 people, increasing to 598 at the 2011 Census. History The village's name means 'Young goat marsh'. Maybe, perhaps ...

. He had connections to

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...

and

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

. Stopford was able to use these connections to become a high class antique dealer. In November 1881 Stopford lived in

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a dangerous pla ...

. Around 1900 he was "the celebrated leader of

cotillion The cotillion (also cotillon or French country dance) is a social dance, popular in 18th-century Europe and North America. Originally for four couples in square formation, it was a courtly version of an English country dance, the forerunner ...

s" in London. In January 1901 he lived in

Taormina Taormina ( , , also , ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on the Ionian Sea, incl ...

, Sicily a tolerant place that also attracted

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

, and

Wilhelm von Gloeden Wilhelm Iwan Friederich August von Gloeden (September 16, 1856 – February 16, 1931), commonly known as Baron von Gloeden, was a German photographer who worked mainly in Italy. He is mostly known for his pastoral nude studies of Sicilian boys ...

. In 1909 Stopford met with

Felix Yussupov Knyaz Felix Felixovich Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston (; – 27 September 1967) was a Russian aristocrat from the House of Yusupov who is best known for participating in the assassination of Grigori Rasputin and for marrying Princess Irina A ...

, who showed him

Arkhangelskoye Palace Arkhangelskoye () is a historical estate in Krasnogorsky District, Moscow Oblast, Russia, located around 20 km to the west of Moscow and 2 km southwest of Krasnogorsk. History From 1703 to 1810, Arkhangelskoye belonged to the Golit ...

near Moscow. In May 1913 he was in Paris; and at some time in

Salsomaggiore Terme Salsomaggiore Terme (Parmigiano dialect, Salsese: ; Parmigiano dialect, Parmigiano: ) is a town and ''comune'' located in the Italy, Italian province of Parma, in the region of Emilia-Romagna. Located at the foot of the Apennine Mountains, Apennine ...

; in March 1914 in St. Petersburg; in October 1914 in

Ypres Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...

, Belgium. At some time Stopford offered the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

his services as the eyes and ears in

Petrograd Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. From July 1915 till September 1917 he was staying in Grand Hotel Europe Saint Petersburg, Moscow and

Tsarskoye Selo Tsarskoye Selo (, , ) was the town containing a former residence of the Russian House of Romanov, imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the center of Saint Petersburg. The residence now forms part of the Pushkin, Saint Peter ...

with unknown affairs. He went to the front with his friend Grand Duchess Vladimir, then to

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

and Kiev. Three times he went back to England for a short period, maybe carrying letters. He was friendly with

Serge Obolensky Prince Sergei Platonovich Obolensky Neledinsky-Meletzky (November 3, 1890 – September 29, 1978), known as Serge Obolensky, was a Russian-born aristocrat then American citizen, U.S. Army colonel, socialite and publicist. He served as vice chair ...

. In April 1917 he visited the Grand Duchess in

Kislovodsk Kislovodsk (; ; ) is a spa city in Stavropol Krai, in the North Caucasus region of Russia which is located between the Black and Caspian Seas. It is part of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region. Demographics Population: Etymology The Rus ...

, a spa in the

Northern Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

. In June he met with

Felix Yusupov Knyaz Felix Felixovich Yusupov, Count Sumarokov-Elston (; – 27 September 1967) was a Russian aristocrat from the House of Yusupov who is best known for participating in the assassination of Grigori Rasputin and for marrying Princess Irina ...

Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...

. In July Yusupov showed him the

Moika Palace The Palace of the Yusupovs on the Moika (), known as the Moika Palace or Yusupov Palace, is a former residence of the Russian noble House of Yusupov in St. Petersburg, Russia, now a museum. The building was the site of Grigori Rasputin's murder ...

and the spot where Rasputin was murdered. In August Stopford revisited the Grand Duchess and brought her money hidden in his shoes. She supplied him with the necessary information on how to access her jewellery in the Vladimir Palace. Stopford travelled to

Mogilev Mogilev (; , ), also transliterated as Mahilyow (, ), is a city in eastern Belarus. It is located on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, about from the Belarus–Russia border, border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from Bryansk Oblast. As of 2024, ...

. He met with

Lady Muriel Paget Lady Muriel Evelyn Vernon Paget CBE DStJ (''née'' Finch-Hatton; 19 August 1876 – 16 June 1938) was a British philanthropist and humanitarian relief worker, initially based in London, and later in Eastern and Central Europe. She was made an ...

; Stopford complained there was nothing to eat in Saint Petersburg. During August or September 1917, together with Grand Duke Boris, Stopford was able to smuggle out some of Grand Duchess's significant jewellery collection from the

Vladimir Palace The Vladimir Palace (, Vladimirsky dvorets) is the former palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia, son of Alexander II of Russia, Alexander II. It was one of the last imperial palaces to be constructed in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It ...

. At the end of September 1917 he left for England, via Sweden and Aberdeen, with a total of 244 items in two Gladstone bags. The Vladimir Tiara was inherited by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

directly from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1953. Taormina and Mt Etna

Within months of his return to London he was embroiled in a homosexual scandal (caught in Hyde Park) and a trial at the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

. He served in

Wormwood Scrubs Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs (or simply Scrubs), is an open space in Old Oak Common located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the borough ...

in 1918/1919. It is probably there Stopford wrote an autobiography, published anonymously in 1919 as ''The Russian Diary of an Englishman: Petrograd 1915–1917''. Its entries detail the Imperial family, Russian politicians, the peace offered by Germany in December 1916, the murder of

Grigori Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin ( – ) was a Russian Mysticism, mystic and faith healer. He is best known for having befriended the imperial family of Nicholas II of Russia, Nicholas II, the last Emperor of all the Russias, Emperor of Russia, th ...

, the official police report, the

February Revolution The February Revolution (), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and sometimes as the March Revolution or February Coup was the first of Russian Revolution, two revolutions which took place in Russia ...

, and the

Russian Provisional Government The Russian Provisional Government was a provisional government of the Russian Empire and Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately after the abdication of Nicholas II on 2 March, O.S. New_Style.html" ;"title="5 ...

. In 1920 Stopford left for the continent and never returned to England. He was in Venice to receive the Duchess Vladimir, who had escaped from Russia. In 1922 he was living in

, and friendly with

D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English novelist, short story writer, poet, playwright, literary critic, travel writer, essayist, and painter. His modernist works reflect on modernity, social alienation ...

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

and

Jean Marais Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais (11 December 1913 – 8 November 1998), known professionally as Jean Marais (), was a French actor, film director, theatre director, painter, sculptor, visual artist, writer and photographer. He performed in over 100 f ...

. In 1924 he was living in the prestigious 31,

Rue de Valois The Rue de Valois () is a street in the Palais-Royal quarter in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. Description The 377-meter-long-street starts at 202, Rue Saint-Honoré and ends at 1, Rue de Beaujolais. It has a north-south orientation ...

in Paris, according to the list of Fellows of the

Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity and organization devoted to the worldwide animal conservation, conservation of animals and their habitat conservation, habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained London Zo ...

. Between 1924 and 1934 he corresponded with Ralph B. Strassburger and for this wealthy businessman probably acquired antiques, now in the

Winterthur Museum Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library is an American estate and museum in Winterthur, Delaware. Winterthur houses one of the richest collections of Americana in the United States. The museum and estate were the home of Henry Francis du Pont ...

, Delaware. Strassburger Papers, 1924–1940 Winterthur Museum
/ref> Stopford died in 1939 and was buried in Bagneux Cemetery.

References

Sources

* *} * * * *

External links

Hidden Treasures of the Romanovs; Saving the Royal Jewels, 2009 by William Malpas Clarke

All things Royal

* ttp://web.tiscali.it/rassegnales/luglio-2000/messaggerod09luglio2000.htm Taormina, un'isola di tolleranza quando la diversità faceva scalpore di LUCIO GALLUZZO
Николай Смоленцев – «ДИКАЯ ОХОТА» КОРОЛЯ ГЕОРГА V В РОССИИ (часть 15)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stopford, Albert 1860 births 1939 deaths 19th-century British businesspeople 20th-century British businesspeople 20th-century British LGBTQ people 20th-century British memoirists Stopford family British LGBTQ writers British art dealers British expatriates in Italy British expatriates in France British non-fiction writers British male writers British male non-fiction writers