Queen's hilarious note to photographer after 'puppies eat print' sells at auction
by Jordana Seal PA · ChronicleLiveChristmas cards and personal notes penned by Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales, have fetched over £12,000 at an auction.
The Royal collection from the '70s to '90s featured items such as a signed Christmas card from Charles and Diana, a heartfelt thank-you note from the princess, alongside a 1993 letter from the then-Prince of Wales which alone sold for £1,900.
Adding to the charm, a lighthearted missive from the late Queen to Alan Maxwell, a renowned photographer serving London's Wallace H Eaton Ltd, an official supplier to the Royal Family, revealed a mischievous incident involving her pets.
It read: "Please check the print with the negatives to find out which is missing – eaten by the puppies – ER".
The trove of Royal correspondences found their way to Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire, having been addressed to Mr Maxwell, who for years assisted with selecting imagery for Royal festive greetings.
Having passed away 15 years ago, Mr Maxwell’s collection was uncovered this summer in a cardboard box. Diana’s note warmly expressed: "Dear Mr Maxwell, a very special thank you for coming to our rescue at such short notice!
"I did appreciate enormously the speed in which the photographs arrived here and am only sorry for the trouble we must have caused! Yours most sincerely, Diana."
In his communication, Charles conveyed his gratitude: "Dear Mr Maxwell, I just wanted to thank you so much for all the time and effort you put into producing possible Christmas cards for me this year.
"I couldn’t be more pleased with what you have achieved from some pretty unpromising material!
"I thought you did wonders in interpreting my ideas of having a card made up of three small pictures, and only narrowly preferred the group version in the end. I only hope it is appreciated by several thousand recipients.
"I am sorry that my ridiculously congested programme meant that you had a fruitless journey to London and that I did not have an opportunity to congratulate you in person, but did want you to know how grateful I am for all you have done on this and other projects.
"What on Earth would I do without you? ! Yours sincerely, Charles."
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: "Buyers from the UK, the USA and Europe competed for these wonderful finds.
"Mr Maxwell assisted the royal family for decades. He was a man of absolute discretion.
"As well as managing general photo requests, he printed and framed Christmas cards.
"In a digital age it’s easy to forget people had to send off films to be developed.
"The Royal family, among the most-photographed people in the world, relied on Mr Maxwell for their photographic needs, and he was a perfectionist."
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