Wright & Ditson Longwood 1895

The Virgin Queen is a 1901 Steidl creation, crafted in Berlin by one of Germany’s most established sporting outfitters, founded in 1860 and based on Rosenthaler Straße. Queen Victoria died on January 22nd, 1901, at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, aged 81. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days marked the longest in British history at the time and defined what became known as the Victorian era. As Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India, her descendants held thrones across Europe, including Germany, Russia, Greece, Norway, Spain, and Britain, earning her the title Grandmother of Europe.

The racquet was likely created in direct response to her death. Whether commissioned by the imperial court or developed independently by the Steidel firm remains unknown. In later years, the company would supply the household of Victoria’s grandson Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Steidel family had operated textile and sporting businesses across Berlin since the mid-19th century. Gustav Steidel opened a wool goods store in Leipziger Straße in 1853, later expanded into a dedicated sporting house by 1884. Around 1900, different branches of the family ran additional shops in other parts of the city, including Rosenthaler Straße.

The racquet remains unstrung and untouched. Its name - The Virgin Queen - reflects both its preserved condition and the moment it was meant to mark. It resurfaced from a private estate in Flensburg and entered the Berlin Tennis Gallery collection in the late 1990s. The historical piece is presented to the public on January 22nd, 2026, exactly 125 years after Queen Victoria’s death.