Childhood drawings by the Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret dating from 1938 were sold for £11,646 at Cheffins Fine Art Auctioneers in Cambridge as part of The Library Sale on 27th April. Far exceeding their presale estimate of £1,000 - £2,000, the drawings were sold via telephone bid to a collector based in the UK.
Drawing by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The drawings which depict houses, chairs and dressing tables, were completely fresh-to-market and had been verified by Buckingham Palace and copies are now held in the Royal Archives. The drawings were offered for sale by a Mr Ian Aldred, whose father, Alexander Aldred, was dentist to the Royal Family during the 1930s and 1940s, along with his business partner Mr Morris. These drawings were completed by the princesses during a visit to 88 Park Street, London, for dental treatment by Mr Aldred and left in the waiting room. In 2004, the seller sent a photocopy of the drawings to Buckingham Palace, and Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary replied in a letter stating, “Her Majesty was most grateful to you for sending her this photocopy which certainly brought back memories for her.”
Alexander Aldred
Charles Ashton, Head of the Fine Art Division at Cheffins says: “These charming drawings offered a window into the childhood lives of the late Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Margaret, who would have been aged around twelve and eight at the time. The result achieved today goes to show the enduring popularity of her late Majesty, and the continued support for the Royal Family from the British public. We saw significant competition on sale day and were delighted to have the opportunity to offer these previously unseen drawings to the market. With the Coronation approaching, we have seen that the popularity of any items relating to the late Queen have risen significantly, as people look to collect individual and personalised items that have a strong link to one of United Kingdom’s greatest monarchs.”
Ian Aldred, who lives in Lincolnshire and sold the drawings comments: “We are delighted with the result which far exceeded our expectations. My family will be incredibly happy with the overall result, and we are glad that the drawings will be going to a collector who can enjoy them.”
The drawings were offered alongside the letter from Ian Aldred to Buckingham Palace and their reply, both dated 2004. The side with the Buckingham Palace monogram was drawn on by Queen Elizabeth II and the reverse by Princess Margaret.
Results reported are inclusive of buyers’ premium at 24.5% + VAT (29.4%) of the hammer price.
Auction: The Library Sale, 27th April 2023
Location: Cheffins, Clifton House, 1-2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK, CB1 7EA
For further information contact the Fine Art Department on 01223 213343, fine.art@cheffins.co.uk