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British Royals

200 years worth of royal memorabilia to go under the hammer

An extraordinary collection of royal memorabilia dating back to the reign of Queen Victoria is set to be auctioned this week for thousands of pounds.

A rare photograph of the Duke (previously King Edward VIII) and Duchess of Windsor.

A rare photograph of the Duke (previously King Edward VIII) and Duchess of Windsor.

The rather impressive collection, previously belonged to the avid collector Jim Hanson. The collection shows both the present and past Royal Family in a way that we’ve never seen them before, with photographs, letters, telegrams and even menus telling an elaborate story.

“It is very rare to find such a remarkable royal collection as this, spanning 200 years from Queen Victoria, through King Edward VII, King George V, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, King George VI and the Queen Mother and our current Queen,” said James Grinter, the auctioneer who will see the collection sold. “The breadth, quality and condition of the individual items is amazing.”

“Jim Hanson was an extraordinary collector,” Mr Grinter added. “He started from an early age collecting cheese labels, before moving on to marbles which he traded in the school playground.”

One of the items up for sale is a black and white photograph of Princess Diana. Presumably taken in 1993, the photograph shows Diana relaxing, with her chin resting in her hand and is signed by the late Princess herself. It is accompanied by a silver arched top frame, engraved with Diana’s cipher, and is estimated to sell for between £3,000 and £3,500.

PrincessDianaPicture

Another popular lot will be a photograph of Queen Victoria along with three generations of heirs, signed by The Queen. The photograph taken at the christening of Prince Edward, features four generations of Monarchs; Queen Victoria, the future King Edward VII, the future King George V and the future King Edward VIII. They are for sale along with four other photographs from the Victorian era, which are all expected to go for around £60 to £100.

Perhaps the most unusual item in the collection is a menu from a dinner hosted by King Edward VIII a few days before he abdicated the throne in favour of his younger brother.

The King’s closest royal advisers and the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin attended the dinner at Fort Belvedere in Windsor Great Park. The group dined on Creme d’Epinards, Mousse de Sole Victoria, Filet de Boeuf and Souffle Alexander.

The menu bears the King’s cipher ‘ER’ also contains the date 8/12/1936, a mere two days before Edward abdicated.

The auction will also feature an invitation from King Edward VIII to Wallis Simpson and her then husband Ernest Aldrich Simpson.

Additional items include a programme from ‘An Evening to Celebrate the Royal Ballet School’, an event that held at Buckingham Palace in 2005. Photographs, invitations and a menu from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s 2011 wedding will also be available to bid on.

The items will all be sold by auctioneer’s Reeman Dansie in Colchester, Essex on Tuesday 17th & Wednesday 18th February.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Reeman Dansie Auctioneers