Christmas cards and personal notes penned by Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, fetched over £12,000 at auction. Amongst the Royal treasures from a collection dating back to the 1970s-1990s was a signed Christmas card from Charles and Diana, a heartfelt thank-you note from the Princess, and a candid 1993 letter from the then-Prince of Wales which alone sold for £1,900.
Adding a touch of humour to the lot, a whimsical note from the late monarch to official Royal photographer Alan Maxwell revealed a Royal mishap where her pups had chewed up a picture. It amusingly instructed: “Please check the print with the negatives to find out which is missing – eaten by the puppies – ER”.
Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire managed the sale of photographs and correspondence that once reached Mr Maxwell, who for years had been instrumental in choosing the Royal Family’s Christmas card images. Passing 15 years ago, it was only this summer that Mr Maxwell’s collection emerged from its cardboard box hideaway.
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The message from Diana expressed gratitude: “Dear Mr Maxwell, a very special thank you for coming to our rescue at such short notice! ” She continued with appreciation for the swift delivery of photos despite the inconvenience caused: “I did appreciate enormously the speed in which the photographs arrived here and am only sorry for the trouble we must have caused! Yours most sincerely, Diana.”
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Meanwhile, the letter from Charles conveyed his thanks for the help received in picking out Christmas cards, writing: “Dear Mr Maxwell, I just wanted to thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into producing possible Christmas cards for me this year.”
“I couldn’t be more pleased with what you have achieved from some pretty unpromising material! ” “I thought you did wonders in interpreting my ideas of having a card made up of three small pictures, and only narrowly preferred the group version in the end. I only hope it is appreciated by several thousand recipients.”
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-Credit:Copyright remains with handout provider
-Credit:PA Media
“I am sorry that my ridiculously congested programme meant that you had a fruitless journey to London and that I did not have an opportunity to congratulate you in person, but did want you to know how grateful I am for all you have done on this and other projects.”
“What on Earth would I do without you? ! Yours sincerely, Charles.”
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “Buyers from the UK, the USA and Europe competed for these wonderful finds.”
“Mr Maxwell assisted the royal family for decades. He was a man of absolute discretion.”
“As well as managing general photo requests, he printed and framed Christmas cards.”
“In a digital age it’s easy to forget people had to send off films to be developed.”
“The Royal family, among the most-photographed people in the world, relied on Mr Maxwell for their photographic needs, and he was a perfectionist.”