King's childhood note to 'Granny' sells for £7,000

The note was written on Buckingham Palace-headed paper when King Charles was six years old

A letter written by King Charles to his poorly "Granny" when he was a child has sold for £7,000.

The note, dated 15 March 1955, was found by a couple when they were clearing out their loft in Stratford-upon-Avon.

It reads: "Dear Granny, I am sorry that you are ill. I hope you will be better soon."

The letter was in a box of royal memorabilia collected by a relative of the couple.

He worked in the Queen's personal protection force during the 1950s, helping to guard the future king's grandmother, the Queen Mother.

The opposite side of the note by the then six-year-old reads "lots of love from Charles" and underneath is a childlike mixture of colourful doodle art and kisses.

The letter was put up for sale at Hansons Auctioneers in Staffordshire on Tuesday, with a guide price of £2,000 to £3,000.

The memorabilia also included royal menus, an invitation to a dance at Balmoral Castle, a note signed by the Queen Mother, a copy of the Queen's 1956 Christmas broadcast speech, and a George VI Memorial Westminster booklet from October 21, 1955.

The entire collection sold for more than £9,000, twice its overall estimate.

The seller said they were "gobsmacked" to find the note handwritten by the future King

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: "I was not at all surprised by the strong demand for these remarkable royal finds.

"The childhood letter from King Charles, written with painstaking care on lined paper, is heart-warming.

"Amid recent royal family rifts it was lovely to see a simple demonstration of affection sent from a boy to his granny."

The items were collected by Roland Stockdale, pictured, who was in the royal protection force

The seller, a 49-year-old farm manager, said the find was a surprise, but he knew his grandfather had worked in the Queen's personal protection force in the middle of the last century.

"I was told he was originally involved in helping to protect the Queen Mother but he probably worked with several royals over time," he said.

He added that he had "absolutely no idea" how his grandfather came to have the letter written by King Charles when he was a boy.

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