Royal prerogative: parallels between one overprivileged prince and another, 80 years later, are obvious
A collection of letters written on behalf of the Duke of Windsor in the 1930s that were amassed by a royal fan will be offered in Catherine Southon Auctioneers and Valuers’ antiques auction on Wednesday February 8.
The letters, to Lillian Boraston, have been discovered in a box of family papers by her granddaughter and are estimated could sell for between £300 and £500 at the auction being held at Farleigh Golf Club.
The letters include comments which show that the “Spare”, the Duke of Sussex, is far from the first royal to grumble about reporting in the national press.
The 14 letters in the collection were posted from all over the world were written by the private secretary of the Duke of Windsor and date from June 1937 – six months after Edward VIII’s abdication – though to Christmas 1939.
One letter dated September 7, 1937, comments: “His Royal Highness thanks you for the poem and your kind wishes but asks me at the same time to assure you that the information that His Royal Highness is homesick is entirely without foundation.”
Well-travelled: the letters were sent from around the world
It continues: “His Royal Highness wishes me to add that quite apart from rumours in the press, it is not very likely that he would be missing the country which in every possible way, tried to humiliate and misrepresent both himself and the Duchess of Windsor.”
TV auctioneer Catherine Southon said: “It’s amazing that these letters have just come to light and what parallels there are with today’s Royal Family, whether it be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex or the death of the Queen last year – people are still totally fascinated.”
In the auction, the letters are accompanied in a lot by nine scrap albums of newspaper cuttings relating to the Duke of Windsor from 1936 to 1941.
The full auction catalogue is available on Southon’s company’s website here.
Read more: 19th century abolitionist Starbuck’s archive up for auction
Read more: A great time hunting down antique bargains with Jo Brand
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- Inside Croydon – as seen on TV! – has been delivering local community news since 2010. 3million page views per year in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
- If you want real journalism, actually based in the borough, you should consider paying for it. Please sign up today. Click here for more details
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here
- Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, as well as BBC London News and ITV London
- ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SIXTH successive year in 2022 in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
