A childhood letter penned by the late Queen Elizabeth II when she was around 10-years-old has sold for £25,000 at auction in Kent.
The single-page letter, addressed to Beatrice Stillman, the head housemaid at Royal Lodge in Windsor, was expected to sell for £4,000.
Charles Hanson of Hansons Auctioneers said the response to the sale was “wild”.
In the letter, believed to be written between 1936 and 1940, the late queen said that she hoped that “the birds are well, and the gold-fish haven’t died”.
She also talked about the primroses she had picked, and requested they be shared among the staff at Royal Lodge. The note is signed: “Love from Elizabeth.”
It was written while the late Queen was at Praa Sands, and was one of several addressed to Ms Stillman that were discovered in 2024.
The archives had been passed on to Jean Westacott, Ms Stillman’s niece, and were found in a suitcase under her bed by her family after she died.
Justin Matthews, from Hansons Auctioneers Penshurst saleroom, said: “When I first saw the letter, it gave me goosebumps. Queen Elizabeth II, as we remember her – with her love of dogs and horses – is astoundingly evident in this letter penned by her younger self.”
The archive also included a note from Princess Margaret, which said: “Beatrice! Please could you look after my bathing suit? Margaret.”
Mr Matthews added: “While Princess Elizabeth’s concerns are all about her pets and the welfare of staff, Princess Margaret’s are slightly more sartorial.
“Both seem rather fitting for the women they grew up to be.”
He said the letter would have been written between 1936, when Ms Stillman joined the household, and May 1940, when the sisters moved to Windsor Castle.
“The letter speaks of an idyllic childhood holiday before the war, when Cornwall was a popular destination for affluent and aristocratic families.
“In those days, it was very common for children to correspond with household staff they were fond of – especially those who helped take care of their home life,” he said.
“We are already seeing a great deal of interest in this incredible letter which, as well as revealing the innermost concerns of the future queen, is an important and charming historic document.”
