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 Ulster King of Arms, 1935, Dresden Factory, circa 1950's Educated at Harrow and Sandhurst, Sir Nevile was born in 1869 and gazetted into the Coldstream Guards in 1890. Promoted to Captain in 1896, he served in the Boer War being present at the advance on Kimberley, including the actions at Belmont, Enslin, Modder River and Magersfontein; operations in the Orange Free State, February-May 1900, including the action at Driefontein.
Thereafter Wilkinson’s interests turned ever more strongly to the decorative arts and to the art and lore of heraldry in particular. To further this interest he entered the National Art Training School (later the Royal College of Art), South Kensington. From his earliest days as a practicing artist he took a great interest in working in miniature, and as early as 1907 he conceived of a grand model palace for ‘Titania Queen of the Fairies’ on the scale of 1 inch to foot. In addition, so expert did he become in the field of heraldry, that in 1907 he was able to resign his commission in the Guards (he had attained the rank of Captain) and in 1908 was able to take up the post of Ulster King of Arms and Registrar of the Order of St. Patrick. On the outbreak of war, Wilkinson rejoined the Army in the Reserve of Officers and served on the Staff firstly in France and then in Macedonia. For his services he received the brevet of Major, was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 13 July 1916) and was awarded the Belgian Order of Leopold 5th Class. He was the creator and architect of ‘Titania’s Palace’, a model 16-roomed house that was opened by Queen Mary in 1923 and exhibited to worldwide acclaim. Wilkinson continued his career as a decorative craftsman, and a collective exhibition of his works was held at the galleries of the Fine Arts Society in 1937. He wrote several books, including: Wilton House Pictures, Wilton House Guide, Yvette in Italy, Grey Fairy, Yvette in Venice, Yvette in Switzerland, Yvette in the U.S.A., The Guards Chapel 1838-1938 and To all and Singular. For his services to the art world, he was awarded the C.V.O. in 1911 and K.C.V.O. in 1921. He died in Dublin on 22 December 1940.  |
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