Doll

Large carved and painted wooden doll with jointed wooden arms. The wig, earrings and locket are later additions. The doll 'wears' a sack back gown with matching petticaot of Spitalfields silk and stiffened silk stays. The doll's underwear consists of a linen chemise, utilitarian linen stays, petticoats and a stiffened hoop of striped, glazed linen.

This doll has been known as 'The Queen of Denmark' since the 1820s and she is believed to have been given by an English princess to Elizabeth (b.1748), the middle daughter of Thomas Sampson, at one time chaplain of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea. Sampson was certainly acquainted with the royal family as in 1759 the future George lll acted as godfather to his youngest son. It is possible that the princess who gave the doll was George lll's sister Caroline Matilda (1751 -75) who married Christian Vll, King of Denmark in 1766.