King Charles childhood items up for auction could fetch thousands: ‘Touching collection’

‘Dear Papa, I am longing to see you in the ship, Love from Charles,’ says one note

Touching childhood drawings by King Charles III of his “Mummy” and “Papa” have been discovered after 40 years – and now could fetch thousands at auction.

The crayon and pencil portraits depict his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and father, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The king created these when he was just 5 years old, according to SWNS, the British news service.

The sweet drawings show both parents in grand attire – with the queen wearing a striped dress with a purple tiara and red earrings, plus holding one of her iconic handbags.

Prince Philip is shown sporting a smart dinner suit and bow tie – and the poignant sketches are inscribed “Mummy” and “Papa.”

A very young Charles created them around 1953-1955, when he was 5 or 6 years old, said SWNS.

The drawings are now expected to fetch between £5,000-£10,000 (roughly $6,300-$13,000) when they go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers, in Etwall, Derbyshire, England, on June 16.

They are part of what’s said to be an “extraordinary” royal memorabilia collection, which includes 10 early drawings by the recently coronated King Charles.

It also includes royal letters, family photos, Christmas cards and a 1937 Buckingham Palace manuscript menu diary.

They were mostly amassed from the 1950s-1970s by Henry Ramsay Maule, an author, journalist and former royal correspondent.

Maule, of Reading, was the author of several books and worked as a British correspondent at the New York Daily News for 21 years, specializing in royal stories.

Under a pseudonym, he also wrote “All The Queen’s Children,” an authoritative book about Queen Elizabeth II’s offspring.

He was a friend of royal photographer  Marcus  Adams and apparently enjoyed a long working friendship with members of the royal household, said SWNS.

Maule also gained the approval of the palace to write a biography of Prince Philip.

He was in the process of collating information for this with the “downstairs” help of long-standing royal servant Charlie when he sadly passed away. 

The items, given to him to assist with his work, were inherited by his family when he died in 1981 and are now being sold on June 16.

“This is an extraordinarily touching collection.” Said Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers.

He added, “These poignant childhood drawings and emotive photos remind us that away from the pomp, pageantry and demands of serving the nation, our royals treasure the ordinary, everyday moments of family life.”

He also said, “Given a crayon and pencil, nearly every child’s first drawings depict their family. Our king was no different… This collection will help people relate to him even more in his role as our monarch.”

Hanson continued, “The items were given to Henry Maule to support his work in documenting the life of the royal family, which included writing ‘All The Queen’s Children.’ They have remained tucked away for more than 40 years since his death in 1981.”

Added Hanson, “The time has now come for others to enjoy them and gain fresh insight into the lives of the British royal family.”

Other early drawings by King Charles that are going up for auction include a picture of a rabbit, owl, deer, squirrels, and an Easter card featuring the Easter bunny – all of which are expected to go for a total of around £6,500 (about $8,000).

Another touching item is a cartoon illustration, circa 1954-56, made by Charles for his father. It shows a master sailor receiving a tot of “hair restorer” from an urn labeled “Lilac Flavour.”

It comes with a note, dated March 25, 1954, that says, “Dear Papa, I am longing to see you in the ship, Love from Charles.”

Handmade cards by a very young Princess Anne for her father, featuring a yacht, house and balloons, are also set for auction at £300-£600 (about $377-$754).

Photos from the 1950s to 1961 also show a young King Charles, Princess Anne, Princess Margaret, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mother.

Further images set for auction show Prince Philip from childhood through to adult life, including photos of him playing with a kitten.

Recently, a sweet letter written by King Charles to his poorly “Granny” in 1955, when he was only 6 years old, sold for thousands at auction, Hansons shared on its website.

“The letter – found in a loft by a gobsmacked couple – was dated March 15, 1955,” the auctioneer website also noted. 

“It read, ‘Dear Granny, I am sorry that you are ill. I hope you will be better soon.’ The flip side of the page reads, ’Lots of love from Charles.’ Underneath the large, neat handwriting is a childlike mixture of colorful doodle art and kisses.”

That letter was offered on March 7 in Hansons Auctioneers’ library auction. After a bidding battle, the hammer fell at £7,000 (roughly $8,810), the auction house reported.