A collection of charming photos and humorous letters penned by the Royal family, discovered in a cardboard box, have fetched nearly £13,000 at auction.
The previously unseen correspondences were addressed to Alan Maxwell, the official photography expert for the royals, who developed their films and provided advice. One amusing note from the late Queen revealed that her corgi puppies had chewed up a Royal photograph.
In another, King Charles commended Mr Maxwell’s designs for the 1993 Royal Christmas cards despite the “unpromising material.” These letters, along with a wealth of photographs and thank you notes, were part of the trove of Royal memorabilia written to Mr Maxwell during his three decades of service.
Found in a cardboard box 15 years post-Mr Maxwell’s passing, the collection was expected to bring in around £8,000 at auction. However, on Thursday (12/12), it exceeded expectations, selling for a total of £12,855.
The collection was divided into 45 lots and auctioned at Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire, inciting an international bidding frenzy. Charles Hanson, owner and star of Bargain Hunt, commented: “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.”
The haul included more than 60 Christmas cards and New Year cards sent out by the royals between the 1970s and 1990s. Mr Maxwell was a photographic and camera specialist at London’s Wallace H Eaton Ltd, official suppliers to the Royal family.
The Royal Family relied on Mr Maxwell for all their photography needs, including helping them chose the annual Royal Christmas cards. Writing a memorandum note to Mr Maxwell before one Christmas the late Queen Elizabeth told him: “Please check the print with the negatives to find out which is missing – eaten by the puppies ER.”
The letter, along with 13 photographs was set to fetch around £500 but sold for £1,900. Another letter written by King Charles when he was Prince of Wales in 1993, revealed how he felt about the “unpromising material” for that year’s cards.
He wrote: “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! “.
The modest monarch also apologised for not meeting Mr Maxwell in person, blaming his “ridiculously congested programme.” A letter penned by Prince Charles, expressing his gratitude for assistance on various projects, was recently sold for £1,900.
In the note, he wrote: “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.”
Another fascinating item at the auction was a 1992 letter from Princess Diana, which fetched £400 – eight times its estimated value of £50. She expressed her thanks in the letter, writing: “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 & am only sorry for the trouble we must have caused! Yours most sincerely, Diana.”
The auction also featured several photographs of Diana from the 1980s and 90s, including her 21st birthday portrait by Snowden. Among the items was a 1984 Christmas card from Diana and Charles to ‘Mr Maxwell’, featuring a picture of the couple with a young Prince William and baby Prince Harry.
A poignant 1988 Christmas card from Queen Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh was also part of the collection. It showcased a photo of Elizabeth holding a baby Princess Beatrice of York on her lap, with The Queen Mother standing beside them.
Mr Maxwell, who served the Royal family between the 1970s and 1990s, passed away in 2009. The Royal memorabilia was discovered by a family member in a cardboard box and subsequently taken for valuation at an agricultural show in August.
Justin Matthews, the regional director for Hansons Kent and Sussex, shared: “The seller came over to Hansons’ stand and mentioned that she had some Royal memorabilia in a box at the bottom of her wardrobe.”
