Royal Servant Mementoes Auctioned in Colchester
Published July 6th, 2008
Letters from members of the British royal family, including a note from the late Queen Mother Elizabeth telling a servant to pack bottles of gin and Dubonnet for an outing, have been auctioned in Colchester. The Queen Mother’s note sold for £16,000, it had been expected to make £200-£300.
A letter from Diana, Princess of Wales, following the birth of Prince William, went for £5,000. ‘We are not sure at the moment what has hit us, except a very strong pair of lungs,’ the princess wrote.
William Tallon, known as Backstairs Billy for his role as Page of the Backstairs, in the Royal Household, built up an extensive collection of notes, gifts and trinkets over 51 years in Royal service.
About 400 buyers and collector’s crowded into the Reeman Dansie auction room in Colchester, Essex, with others bidding by telephone and internet. In all 700 items were auctioned.
Related Articles Colchester UK Water Tower landmark sold at auctionVettriano Sketch Auctioned in ScotlandVettriano for Edinburgh auctionQueen’s midwife letters for Bonhams auctionMcLaren Mercedes SLR makes £160,500
