LONDON.- Bonhams is to sell a rare 200-year-old royal pistol that belonged to the Grand Old Duke of York - Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, the second son of George III. It will be offered at Bonhams Antique Arms and Armour sale in London on 11th May and is estimated at £5,000-7,000.

Pocket pistols were carried by gentlemen for their personal protection. This example is particularly rare. Not only was it owned and used by a member of the royal family, it was made specifically for the Duke by one of the most renowned gunsmiths of the day, Tatham & Egg. The pistol is an over and under model meaning that it has two barrels providing the user with a possible double shot unlike the more usual single shot.

Prince Frederick was made Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in 1795 by his father, King George III, but a disastrous campaign against the French tarnished his reputation and caused widespread derision. The much-loved nursery rhyme The Grand Old Duke of York was originally a withering attack on Frederick’s indecisiveness and incompetence.

Oh the grand Old Duke of York
He had Ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again
And when they were up they were up
And when they were down they were down
And when they were only half way up
They were neither up nor down

Historians, however, have been kinder than the Duke’s contemporaries pointing to his inexperience and the poor state of the army. Determined to avoid such humiliation in the future, Frederick initiated sweeping and much-needed reforms in the army. He is also credited for masterminding the defence of Britain against Napoleon’s planned invasion in 1803 although this remained a paper exercise as the French leader changed his mind.

“Frederick was an interesting figure who worked hard to overcome his reputation as a poor military commander and who made significant and lasting changes to the army” said Bonhams Director of Antique Arms and Armour, David Williams.” This fine pistol which bears Prince Frederick’s full coat of arms is a rare opportunity to own a piece imbued with rich historical associations.”