A rare handwritten letter that details how Princess Elizabeth and Philip fell in love is set to go up for auction in Chippenham.
The Queen wrote the letter when she was 21, still a princess and shared all the details about her relationship with the Prince of Greece and Denmark to author Betty Shew in 1947, shortly before her wedding to Philip.
The Queen wrote a letter aged 21 detailing how she fell in love with Prince Philip. Picture by Andrew Parsons / i-Images
The two page letter was sent as Mrs. Shew was writing a book about the Royal Wedding as a souvenir of the marriage. The Queen says how she met Prince Philip and described the places they used to dance together at Ciro’s and Quaglino’s in London.
The auction will take place at Chippenham Auction Rooms in a few weeks, on Saturday 23rd April, alongside with a number of Royal artefacts and memorabilia-including Queen Victoria’s nightgown and a chemise. There is also a life-size Tussaud’s waxwork of Victoria and one of her son Prince Edward.
Other items for sale include a replica of Queen Elizabeth II’s Imperial State Crown plus replica ceremonial swords, sceptres and maces.
Principal auctioneer Richard Edmonds said: “This is a wonderfully well-preserved letter written in the Queen’s hand. It gives a fascinating glimpse into the life of the then Princess Elizabeth at what was such a significant time in her life.
“The price of a letter like this is very difficult to predict but it could be in the region of £800–£1,200.”
The items will be available for viewing on 21st April from 4pm-8pm and 22nd April.
