Sale rooms’ royal find
A HANDWRITTEN draft of a letter from Queen Victoria has been discovered by Huntingdon Sale Rooms. The letter, which would later have been typed by the Queen s private secretary, will go on sale on eBay in the next few days. Queen Victoria wanted to thank
A HANDWRITTEN draft of a letter from Queen Victoria has been discovered by Huntingdon Sale Rooms.
The letter, which would later have been typed by the Queen's private secretary, will go on sale on eBay in the next few days.
Queen Victoria wanted to thank the women of the British Empire for paying by public subscription for a memorial to Prince Albert in Kensington Gardens.
The letter is dated June 22, 1887 and is on Windsor Castle headed notepaper.
Queen Victoria wrote: "I am anxious to express to all of the women of Great Britain and Ireland how deeply touched and gratified I am by their very kind and generous present.
"I thank them all most warmly for it and shall value their gift of the statue of my beloved husband, very highly - as a touching remembrance of this interesting and never to be forgotten day and of their great loyalty and affection."
Most Read
- 1 Captured Cambridgeshire man 'charged with mercenary activities' by Russia
- 2 Honda, Seat and Toyota crash on A141
- 3 A lost wedding photo uncovers a heartbreaking story
- 4 A1 set for night-time and weekend closures until August
- 5 Hospitals raise car parking costs for first time in six years
- 6 Opposition group to fight plans for new homes in village
- 7 Off duty nurse saves a man's life by performing CPR
- 8 Vehicle caught fire on A1 near St Neots
- 9 Man assaulted woman and verbally abused hotel staff
- 10 Fenland man repeatedly raped woman for 20 years
The letter is signed Victoria Reg.
Michaela Burkenshaw, manager of the sale rooms, said the letter had been in a bundle of other things taken to the sale rooms.
"I noticed this was on Windsor Castle notepaper.
"We have verified that this is in Queen Victoria's handwriting and we have seen an exact transcript of the letter on the website of a museum in British Columbia.
"Copies would have been sent out to the colonies to convey the Queen's thanks in the press there."
Miss Burkenshaw said the letter would be valued at less than £100 because it was creased and in poor condition and because it was not a personal letter, for example to someone famous or one of her family.
