1850 Book from Queen Victoria's Library

Hi all, I have recently acquired this book. It is dated 1850, in unique royal binding by Westleys & Co and is from Queen Victoria's library at Windsor Castle. However, I know little of the subject as it is in French. The book is called "La Perle Des Jours" and I have looked it up but with no luck. Can anyone help?

 

1) Welcome!
2) how do you know this?
3) how can you prove this?
4) could it be stolen?
5) please always enlarge your photos .

 

I wouldn't believe that it's from the library of queen Victoria just because it's written in pencil in the front of the book. You should get that authenticated.

But anyway I looked the book up, and there were results, but I couldn't tell you anything about it because all the results were in French.

 

Google translate says the title is "the pearl of the day"

 

Translated from the English "The Pearl of Days". I don't think it's from the Queen's library - not with that binding - though it may imitate a Royal binding (I don't know). The essay was dedicated to Victoria at the Queen's direction.

From The Cottager's Monthly Visitor (1858):

 

It would be unusual for a book from any upper class person's library not to have a bookplate inside the front board.

I once sold a large bookplate collection which as far as I recall included a QV example. Without a bookplate the provenance remains anecdotal. If it did have a bookplate, a bookplate collector would be a natural customer.

Without some actual evidence a pencil inscription at least 100 years later would not count for much.

That bookplate collection was a real goldmine, it was formed by a local provincial newspaper editor who wrote to distinguished people and institutions such as libraries and universities asking for a copy of their bookplate, so many were accompanied by autograph or signed letters from the respondents such as Graham Green or Winston Churchill which hugely added to the value.
I sold the lot off on ebay as individual items or small related groups (such as US universities) and many fetched quite high prices because of the letters or autographs with them. Some of the most famous people replied through a secretary, our present Queen, for example, who does not scatter autographs randomly.

People have been collecting bookplates since the 18th C at least so many in the collection were quite early.

I am prepared to bet that not many antiquers will have heard of bookplates as a collecting subject, but being aware of them will give you one more thing to look out for.

 

I've never heard of bookplates, will have to look them up. Thanks for the information af!