Latest news with #CharlesHanson
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Royal ring bought at Leicester charity shop could fetch £5k
A rare ring made to commemorate the death of a Royal princess, which was picked up in a charity shop for £15, is expected to sell for up to £5, mourning ring was commissioned following the death of Princess Amelia, the youngest daughter of King George III, in V, her brother, commissioned 52 of the rings and distributed them among family and close friends after her funeral in of the rings, purchased in a Leicester charity shop, is expected to fetch between £3,000 and £5,000 at auction. Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said he was "stunned" by the discovery which he described as "the most important" charity shop find he had heard of in a decade. It was brought to him by a client who purchased it in a charity shop, unaware of its historical Amelia died on 2 November 1810, aged 27, having battled ring bears the words "remember me" after the princess reportedly pressed a ring into her father, King George III's hands, on her death bed, whilst she whispered those Hanson said: "This find proves treasures still lie hidden on our high streets."It's not just the monetary value - it's the emotion, history and humanity behind this ring that truly moves you."
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Royal ring found on sale in charity shop for £15
A rare mourning ring, commissioned by George IV to commemorate his sister Princess Amelia, is set to be auctioned after being purchased for £15 at a Leicester charity shop. The ring dates back to the early 19th century and was brought to auctioneer Charles Hanson by a client unaware of its historical significance. Mr Hanson described the find as the most important he has encountered from a charity shop in a decade and said he was 'stunned and dazzled'. The ring is expected to fetch between £3,000 and £5,000 at auction. Princess Amelia died in 1810 from tuberculosis, aged just 27, and the ring, crafted by royal goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, is one of 52 made to be distributed among family and friends after her funeral.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
200-year-old ring made for royal family discovered in charity shop
A rare mourning ring commissioned by George IV to commemorate his sister, Princess Amelia, is set to be auctioned after being purchased for just £15 at a charity shop in Leicester. The ring, dating back to the early 19th century, was brought to auctioneer Charles Hanson by a client who was unaware of its historical significance. Mr Hanson described the find as the most important he had encountered from a charity shop in a decade. The piece is now expected to fetch between £3,000 and £5,000 at auction. 'I was stunned and dazzled,' Mr Hanson said. 'This find proves treasures still lie hidden on our high streets. From a simple box emerged a piece of deeply personal royal history, commissioned by the royal family itself to honour a lost loved one. 'It's not just the monetary value, it's the emotion, history and humanity behind this ring that truly moves you.' Princess Amelia died in 1810 from tuberculosis. The ring was commissioned that same year and crafted by the royal goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. On her deathbed, Amelia is said to have pressed a ring containing a lock of her hair into her father George III's hand, whispering 'remember me'. Those final words were immortalised in the ring's design, with the phrase inscribed beneath the image of a crown. Her father later lost his sanity, an event which became the subject of countless literary and cultural depictions of the 'Mad King George'. The ring is one of only 52 made, which would have been distributed among family and close friends after Amelia's funeral at Windsor. 'The white enamel used in the ring denotes that Amelia was unmarried at the time of her death,' Mr Hanson said. 'White enamel symbolised purity and innocence in mourning jewellery, particularly for those who died young or unmarried. It contrasts with the more commonly used black enamel, which signified general mourning.'
Daily Record
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Bargain Hunt star's record-breaking win on £390k rare attic item that was left for 50 years
Bargain Hunt's Charles Hanson uncovered the show's most expensive ever find in an old teapot, which had been left rotting in a loft for half a century, with its owners unaware that it was one of only three in the world. One of Bargain Hunt's best ever finds had been collecting dust in a Derbyshire attic for years before it went on to sell for a staggering £390,000 at auction. Expert Charles Hanson uncovered a Chinese teapot that had been rotting away in a loft for half a century, branding it as 'the most important object' he has ever sold. The 18th century teapot was almost thrown out in a spring clean by its owners. Luckily, the rare Chinese wine ewer was rescued in time for it to make an appearance on the BBC show - and for viewers to discover it's one of only three similar pieces internationally known. The antique had originally been inherited from World War II serviceman Ronald Wadsworth, a Burma Star medal owner. However, it was almost donated to a charity episode before the 2023 episode of the BBC show identified it as playing an important role in Chinese Emperor Qianlong's court, the Express r eports. Antique expert Charles explained on the show: 'Emperor Qianlong who was that great Emperor of the Arts, he wanted his Beijing enamelist to make the very best. And the quality is simply out of this world. "This is one of only three known, one's in a museum in Taiwan, one's in the museum of Beijing, China, and out of humble Burton-Upon-Trent, voila – unbelievably we have another. "It's probably what Faberge is to Russians and what imperial enamel is to Chinese billionaires and this to me, is a must-have object for any important Chinese connoisseur wishing to buy the best of Emperor Qianlong's treasures. 'This object for me, is in its historical placement, the most important object I've ever sold.' He continued: 'Unbeknown to the owner, it had been in his house, in his loft, for over 50 years. "His grandfather, Ronald, was in Japan in the mid-early 1940s, and it came home and it just languished." Despite its tremendous value, the teapot did not immediately stand out as valuable. Explaining why this was to his co-star Natasha Raskin-Sharp, Charles said: ' It was sleepy, it took a while to wake up. "But because we thought, this is interesting, so we booked it in at a low estimate, [thinking] it might be worth £100 to £150." He added: 'And then, as we look at the objects and we begin to research, suddenly we increase that guide to between £20,000 and £40,000. "Now we're advising the market that this important ewer is probably going to be guided at between £100,000 and £150,000. But though, we're still not at boiling point – literally!' In the end, the rare piece made an eye watering £390,000 at auction, breaking a record for the show. BBC Bargain Hunt airs on BBC One at 12:15 and 13:15 through from Mondays to Thursdays each week.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Charles Hanson thanks fans as he appears back on Bargain Hunt after being cleared of abusing his wife
Charles Hanson has made an emotional return to BBC daytime favourite Bargain Hunt just weeks after being cleared of abusing his wife. The antiques expert, 46, appeared on Monday's episode of the long-running show – marking his first television appearance since 2023. Hanson, who has also starred in Antiques Roadshow, Flog It! and Antiques Road Trip, had been off air while facing serious allegations of assault and coercive control against his wife Rebecca. He had denied all the charges. In February, a jury at Derby Crown Court found him not guilty on all counts after a three-week trial which laid bare the collapse of his marriage to the 42-year-old radiographer. The couple are now divorcing. During the trial, Hanson was accused of a decade of abuse, including putting his pregnant wife in a headlock, pushing and scratching her, and controlling her behaviour. He told jurors she was a 'fantasist' and claimed he had been a 'slave' to her demands. Following his acquittal, the TV star sobbed in the dock before punching the air in relief and embracing his parents, Phillip and Gillian, who sat in court throughout the proceedings. Speaking outside court in February, Hanson said: 'I'm delighted after a year and half that the truth has finally come out and can finally live my life and feel this burden has finally been lifted. 'It has been a tormentous time and all I want now is to readjust to what has been such an ordeal. 'These last 18 months have been extremely upsetting. I have missed my children and quite simply I can now get back to my life and I relish that. It has been very impactful. 'I am very lucky my parents have stood by me from start to finish – without my family it would have been a very, very testing time.' He added: 'When you believe in justice you know justice and here we are today. It has taken a long, long time and to anyone who knows me, who has believed in me, who has supported me, who has messaged me – thank you.' On Monday's Bargain Hunt, Hanson was back doing what he's known for – valuing antiques and wielding the gavel on the rostrum at Bishton Hall in Staffordshire, alongside fellow expert Christina Trevanion. Fans were quick to welcome him back, with many taking to social media to share their support. One viewer wrote on X: 'Charles, it was lovely to see you again on Bargain Hunt today, you have been missed so much.' Another said: 'Great to see you back on @BBCBargainHunt this afternoon, it was a lovely surprise. You were missed.' 'Ooooh Charles is back now he's been acquitted,' a third posted, while another added: 'Good to see @HansonsAuctions back on the BBC #bargainhunt.' Following the broadcast, Hanson took to social media himself to thank supporters. 'Evening all, I just want to say, thank you,' he said. 'I've had so many messages on social media having been seen performing today on television, it means an awful lot. 'So much kindness in messaging me, thanks so much.' Hanson, a former pupil at Ecclesbourne School, in Derbyshire, was just 24 when he first appeared on Antiques Roadshow and Bargain Hunt, selected as programme makers tried to make the show more appealing to a younger generation. At the time, he was working as fine arts manager at Wintertons Fine Art, which has auction houses in Lichfield and Bakewell, after completing a degree in Fine Art and Evaluation at Southampton University. From there, he trained for a year and a half at Christies in London, before returning to live in Derbyshire when he joined Wintertons. He went on to set up his own auction house, Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, Derbyshire, in 2005 and now has 10 across the UK. Until his arrest in June 2023, he was a regular on Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip and Flog It! where he was known for his flamboyant auctioneering style. He also regularly appeared in both local and national newspapers after unearthing gems such as a pair of bloomers said to have belonged to Queen Victoria, which sold for £4,500, and a 12,000-year-old mammoth bone, handed to him during one of his regular valuation days at his auction house. Hanson, who is rumoured to have undergone a hair transplant in recent years, was also in demand as an auctioneer at charity evenings in Derbyshire and around the country, so much so that the judge at the start of his trial had to put on record that he had attended a dinner hosted by Hanson, though did not know him personally.
