QVC The Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment) Officers button.

The Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment), 25mm officers gilt button 1881–1903, by Hawkes.

• On 1 July 1881, the Childers Reforms renamed the old 19th Foot “The Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment),” merging in the local militia and volunteer battalions. It already had two battalions, so unlike many regiments it didn’t need to amalgamate with another unit.

• The 1st Battalion spent most of this window abroad: stationed at Nova Scotia from 1884, moved to the Mediterranean in 1888 where it was stationed at Malta but also saw action in Egypt, then moved to Jersey in 1895 followed by Ireland in 1898 .

• After a brief spell in Gibraltar in 1899, the battalion was posted to South Africa as reinforcement for the Second Boer War, where it was involved in the Relief of Kimberley and the battles of Diamond Hill (June 1900) and Belfast (August 1900) . A militia 3rd Battalion also served in South Africa from 1900–02, and a detachment took part in Sudan operations in 1885.

• The regiment’s name changed again in 1902 (after Alexandra became Queen consort) to “Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment” — which is why this button’s plain “Princess of Wales’s Own” title dates it fairly tightly to 1881–1902/03.

Maker: Hawkes & Co, Piccadilly, London — a well-known Victorian/Edwardian military tailor and outfitter based on Piccadilly, London, that supplied officers’ buttons, badges, and accoutrements to numerous British regiments in this period. They later merged into Gieves & Hawkes.