Beschreibung:

A rare collection of Royal interest ephemera, collated by a former member of the Windsor household, to include a scrapbook containing a quantity of Christmas gift tags, written by members of the Royal family: 'Darling Margaret, with best wishes for a Happy Christmas and love from Lilibet [Elizabeth II]', 'Anne, Much love for Xmas, from Charles', 'To Charles, love from Sarah', 'For Charles, with much love and good wishes for Christmas, from Aunt Alice', 'To Anne & Mark, Lots of Love from Sarah', 'To George, Happy Xmas from Andrew', together with a quantity of facsimile letters from Queen Elizabeth, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Prince Charles, thanking members of the Royal Household for their service at particular events, and a quantity of invitations to Buckingham Palace Garden Parties, Dances at Windsor Castle, a programme and two tickets for the 1943 'Christmas Pantomime' held at Windsor Castle, (in which Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret performed as Aladdin and Princess Roxana respectively), three tickets for 'Christmas Day Mattins' at St George's Chapel Windsor (date not known), an original 1959 hand-written letter from the Queen Mother, written on Clarence House paper and in conforming envelope, reading 'For Smith, with many thanks for your loyal and helpful service to me when you were my footman, from Elizabeth R', eight Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace Christmas Ball programmes, dated variously from 1948 to 1965, some signed by entertainment stars who had performed at the events, a facsimile copy of a Dorothy Wilding portrait Coronation photograph of George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, (bearing signatures (facsimile)) of the King and Queen, and assorted other items.Consigned by the family of Robert Smith who was a Footman at Buckingham Palace before becoming a Steward at Windsor Castle, his career spanning from the late 1930s through to the mid-1970s. He travelled on many overseas tours with the Royal Family, accompanying King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Canada (1939) and South Africa (1947), as well as later tours and engagements with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Domestically, he accompanied the senior Royals on carriages and coaches during state events and official visits. It forms part of an extensive collection of personal Christmas cards and related ephemera being sold in this sale. This lot also includes items from the collection of Mr Roy Platt, also a member of the Royal Household at Windsor, and a relative of Mr Smith.