Part of the proceeds from this week’s multi-million pound sale of treasures belonging to Princess Margaret will go to charity after the Queen intervened to prevent another scandal over royal gifts.

The Queen asked Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto, Princess Margaret’s children, to make a clear distinction between goods their mother had received in an “official” role and those that had been personal gifts from family and friends.

Christie’s will auction jewellery and valuables which belonged to Princess Margaret

Jewellery and other valuables to belonging Princess Margaret will be auctioned in London on Tuesday and Wednesday by Christie’s. The 800 items are expected to fetch up to £5 million.

Princess Margaret, the Queen’s younger sister, died in 2002, leaving £7.6 million to her children. Lord Linley and Lady Sarah Chatto say the sale is to pay off inheritance taxes of more than £3 million on her estate. However, Lord Snowdon, Princess Margaret’s former husband, is reported to disapprove of the sale.

According to senior royal sources, the Queen is determined to prevent embarrassing accusations that members of the Royal family have “cashed in” on gifts when they were given to the recipient as a representative of the state.

Posted: 06|11|06 at 1:33 pm. Filed under: UK News.