A 101-year-old letter written by the Queen Mother is being auctioned after it was discovered it was being used as a bookmark.
The thank you note, dated January 27, 1923, came following news of the then Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon’s plans to marry Prince Albert, the future King George VI.
Buckingham Palace announced the couple’s engagement on January 15, 1923, after their third marriage proposal was finally accepted, following Elizabeth’s decision.ears about the impact of real life.
The letter was sent to Mrs Carmicheal of Downfield, Dundee, Scotland, along with a photograph of the royal, but has since been kept inside a book.
It is expected to fetch up to £600 but could sell for much more when it goes up for auction at Richmond-based Hansons Auctioneers on February 26.
A 101-year-old letter written by the Queen Mother is being auctioned after it was discovered to be being used as a bookmark.
The future mother of Queen Elizabeth II apologizes for the “brief note” and jokes about having so many thank-you letters to write, writing “my hand almost gave out!”
The charming note was discovered by chance by the seller’s grandmother hidden inside a second-hand book.
The seller, a 59-year-old teacher from Brighton, said: “It belonged to my grandmother, who found it in a second-hand book she had bought.”
‘It was being used as a bookmark.
‘I passed it on to my mother, who unfortunately died in 2019, so it became mine.
‘I think they bought it in Aberdeen in the late twenties.’
‘My family is originally from there.
“That said, my great-grandmother was from Dundee where she worked in the jute mills, so that is also a possible link.”
A photo found with the letter shows the Queen Mother in her 20s, possibly at Downfield Fete, Dundee, with Mrs Carmichael.
The letter, on ’17 Bruton Street, WI’ letterhead, was partly typewritten and partly handwritten.
It says: “Dear Mrs. Carmichael,
‘Thank you very much for your kind letter of congratulations, which I greatly appreciate.
‘Of course I remember the Garden Fete at Downfield.
“You’ll only forgive a brief note, I know, but I have more letters to answer than I can handle.”
He continued in pen: ‘And also this typewritten letter, but my hand almost gave out!’
It is signed by Elizabeth Lyon.
A photo found with the letter shows the Queen Mother in her 20s, possibly at Downfield Fete, Dundee, with Mrs Carmichael.
The note is expected to fetch up to £600 but could sell for much more when it goes up for auction at Richmond-based Hansons Auctioneers on February 26.
The letter will sell for up to £600, but could sell for much more when it goes up for auction at Hansons Auctioneers on February 26.
“What an extraordinary discovery,” said Jim Spencer, an expert on Hanson’s articles and books.
‘I have no doubt it would have been a prized possession.
‘Apart from its importance as a royal souvenir, it had hanging an informal photograph possibly showing Mrs Carmichael with Elizabeth.
The original envelope was also preserved, suggesting that Mrs. Carmichael treasured it.
‘Maybe he put it inside a book to keep it flat and, over time, misplaced it.
‘This fascinating card shows how the power of love circulates through all our lives, even in royal circles.
“It’s no different than a classic fairy tale or a modern romantic comedy, this idea of a future king proposing marriage three times before finally winning the heart of his one true love.”
Prince Albert, Duke of York, known as ‘Bertie’, vowed he would not marry any other woman despite his proposal being rejected.
He first proposed to Elizabeth in 1921, but she rejected him, “fearing never, ever again to be free to think, speak, and act as I feel I really should.”
Aware of Albert’s desperate situation, his mother, Queen Mary, visited the girl who had stolen her son’s heart.
The wedding of the Duke and Duchess of York, 1923: Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, the bride’s father; Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, mother of the bride; Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; The Duke of York, later King George VI; Maria de Teck, the mother of her boyfriend; King George V, father of the groom (LR)
He became convinced that Elizabeth was “the only girl who could make Bertie happy”, but refused to interfere.
At the same time, Elizabeth was courted by James Stuart, Albert’s equerry, until he left the prince’s service.
In February 1922, Elizabeth was bridesmaid at the wedding of Albert’s sister, Princess Mary, to Viscount Lascelles.
The following month, Albert proposed to her for the second time, but she again refused.
Finally, in January 1923, Isabel agreed to marry Alberto, despite her misgivings about royal life.
Albert’s freedom to choose Elizabeth, rather than a member of the royal family, was seen as a gesture in favor of political modernization.
The couple selected a platinum engagement ring with a Kashmir sapphire and two diamonds.
Prince Albert and Elizabeth were married on April 26, 1923 at Westminster Abbey.
Her reign as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth extended from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as wife of King George VI.
When he died at age 51, she was considered the matriarch of the British Royal Family and was active in public life until a few months before her death at the age of 101.