Childhood Letter of Queen Elizabeth II to Be Auctioned
A handwritten letter written by Queen Elizabeth II during her childhood is scheduled for auction, with bids anticipated to reach up to £4,000.
The one-page letter, addressed to the head housemaid at Royal Lodge in Windsor, features drawings of dogs, horses, and young children. It inquires about "the birds" and whether "the goldfish haven't died."
The letter was composed while the then Princess Elizabeth was at Praa Sands in Cornwall, sometime between 1936 and 1940, when she was between 10 and 12 years old, according to the auctioneers.
Justin Matthews, representing Hansons Auctioneers, which is handling the sale in Penshurst, remarked on the letter's uniqueness and beauty.
"In my 27 years in the international auction world I've never seen anything so beautiful."
The letter is set to be auctioned on 27 February. It also mentions primroses that the late queen had picked and requested to be shared among the staff at Royal Lodge.
Context and Related Letters
This letter was among several addressed to Beatrice Stillman, the former head housemaid at Royal Lodge.
Another letter, written by Princess Margaret, asked Stillman to "look after my bathing suit."
Following the death of Stillman's brother-in-law, John Dicker, in an air raid in 1940, the Queen Mother invited his widow, who was Stillman's sister, along with their two young daughters, Rene and Jean, to spend time with the princesses at Royal Lodge.
Discovery of the Letters
Jean Dicker's son, William Westacott, discovered the archive of letters in 2024 inside a suitcase stored beneath his mother's bed after her passing.
Westacott shared that his aunt Rene "fondly" remembered meeting the royal family and recalled playing in a large playhouse located in the Royal Lodge's garden.
"We knew the letters existed, but to read them in the flesh was a 'wow' moment."
Westacott is from Sevenoaks.
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