With love, Elizabeth R
Queen’s intimate letters to her cousin about Ascot, weddings ..and Charles’ tonsils op in sale
AN intimate collection of letters from Queen Elizabeth II to her cousin and his wife are being sold.
The late monarch kept in regular contact with Gerald and Angela Lascelles, covering topics such as Ascot, weddings and anniversaries.
The couple kept all of the letters, including ones from a young Prince Charles, Princess Margaret, the Queen Mother, Edward VIII, Lord Mountbatten and Queen Mary.
In May 1957, Elizabeth apologised for son Charles, then eight, missing the fourth birthday party of his second cousin Henry Lascelles as he “has to have his tonsils out”.
One letter reveals how the Queen requested silver salt and pepper pots as gifts for her silver wedding anniversary in 1972.
A note shows how in
1979, she gave formal consent for Henry, now 71, who is selling the haul, to marry. In a letter written on Buckingham Palace-headed notepaper in June 1989, the Queen expresses her sadness that Angela was not well enough to join her at Royal Ascot that year.
She signed it off with “love from Elizabeth”. Angela also writes of her dachshund bowing to the Queen when she visited their home Harewood House, West Yorks, in 2002.
Then-Leeds manager Terry Venables was also among guests.
The archive, from the 1950s to the 1990s, includes New Year telegrams, Christmas cards and an invitation to Charles’ and Diana’s wedding.
It has been divided into 60 lots with an estimate of £11,000 to
£18,000 at Young’s Auctions of Farnham, Surrey. Auctioneer Christopher Young said: “This is a rare opportunity for people to acquire very intimate letters from senior members of the Royal Family.
“It has stimulated quite a lot of interest all over the world.”
The sale is on September 14.