A handwritten letter from Prince Charles to his friend Marjorie Dawson, who was the personal maid and dresser to Princess Alexandra for 36 years, is to be auctioned by Chiswick Auctions on 21st July 2022.
The four page letter, dated 29th November 2002, is written on official St James's Palace headed paper, and shows Charles' personal thoughts regarding media intrusion, with a particular focus on Paul Burrell, who served as Princess Diana's butler.
The letter, which is accompanied by the original envelope, reads in full:
"Bless you for taking the trouble to write as you did in the wake of all the ghastliness that has being going on!
I find it utterly incredible, as I have done nothing but show people like Paul Burrell every consideration over the years.
Unfortunately we are now to be treated as mere pawns in a terrifying and ongoing media circulation war where the actual facts are totally disregarded and vast sums of money are offered as bribes to former and current members of staff to exercise their pathetic jealousies and vendettas in public.
One member of staff has been offered a total of £5 millions by the newspapers in recent weeks"
Members of the Royal family generally keep their personal thoughts to themselves with their famous 'never complain never explain' motto, so it is rare to see a letter expressing opinion like this.
In 2003 a statement Prince William also wrote that his mother would have been 'mortified' by Paul Burrell's actions, so to see Charles also refer to 'pathetic jealousies' in writing makes this quite a serious piece of Royal memorabilia.
The £1,500-£2,000 estimate seems fairly cheap to us.
Full details at Chiswick Auctions.