Abb Fab: More from Marie Louise - Luxury, Shopping and Life at Abbotsford

Our previous blog post explores Marie-Louise’s life in more depth, but the archive holds many smaller stories too.

From shopping during the economic difficulties of the 1930s to sourcing beautiful objects for Abbotsford, these details help us build a picture of Marie-Louise beyond the headlines.

Here are a few of the things we’ve discovered in the archive...

A taste for the finer things

Marie-Louise was accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle, and her shopping choices reflected her discerning taste.

She ordered china sets and additional porcelain pieces for Abbotsford from Nymphenburg, the prestigious Munich-based porcelain manufacturer.

We’re lucky enough to hold her correspondence with the supplier in our archive, giving us a direct connection to the process of furnishing and running the house.

These letters offer more than a glimpse of Marie-Louise’s taste. They show the networks of suppliers and craftsmen behind the objects at Abbotsford, and the thought that went into choosing the things that surrounded her.

Luxury meets economy

Marie-Louise’s love of beautiful things had to exist alongside the economic realities of the 1930s.

After the 1929 financial crash, households across Britain faced financial pressures, and even luxury retailers adapted. Among Marie-Louise’s papers are brochures promoting ‘Economical shopping’, including material from prestigious London retailer Harvey Nichols.

They offer a fascinating contrast: a woman accustomed to premium suppliers and beautiful objects, navigating a period when economy and value were increasingly part of everyday life.

Want to learn more about Marie Louise? Check out our blog post!

Next month, we will look at Patricia Maxwell-Scott.

Click here to read about last month's Abb Fab woman, where we dive into the mysterious ‘Lady of the Isles’-Mairi Maxwell-Scott