Drawing by a young Queen Elizabeth as she waited to see the dentist up for auction
Childhood sketches drawn by Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret while in the dentist’s waiting room will be put up for auction.
The “charming” drawings were created in 1938 when the late Queen, who was then Princess Elizabeth, was 12 and her sister was just eight years old.
The princesses drew while they waited to be admitted to their dental treatments on 88 Park Street, London, and the drawings were then left in the waiting room.
The late Queen’s sketches, drawn on the side of the paper with the Buckingham Palace monogram, depict chairs, tables and a small house with a pond and a chimney.
The side with Princess Margaret’s drawings depicts a similar-looking cottage with a winding path and a pond, as well as a dressing table.
The previously unseen sketches, which have since been verified by the Palace, were offered for sale by the son of the Royal family’s dentist during that time.
Alexander Aldred was dentist to the royals during the 1930s and 1940s, along with his business partner Mr Morris.
His son, Ian Aldred, said it was “time to move these drawings on” as he is now in his eighties.
The Lincolnshire-based pensioner said: “As I am now in my eighties, I decided it was time to move these drawings on and give someone else the opportunity to enjoy them.
“I was conscious from a very young age that my father was more than just a normal dentist and he had some very famous clients, as a schoolboy I was very proud that he was the dentist to the Royal family.”
The drawings will be offered alongside the letter from Ian Aldred to Buckingham Palace and their reply, both from 2004.
The letter responding to Mr Aldred is from the late Queen’s private secretary, Sir Robin Janvrin, stating: “Her Majesty was most grateful to you for sending her this photocopy which certainly brought back memories for her.”
The drawings, which will be sold at Cheffins Fine Art Auctioneers in Cambridge on April 27, have an estimate of £1,000-£1,500.
Charles Ashton, Head of the Fine Art Division at Cheffins, said that Royal family memorabilia has increased in popularity in light of the Coronation of King Charles III in May.
He said: “These charming drawings are 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.
“With the Coronation approaching, we have seen that the popularity of any items relating to the late Queen has risen significantly, as people look to collect individual and personalised items that have a strong link to one of the United Kingdom’s greatest monarchs.”
Mr Ashton added: “There are a number of dedicated collectors for royal memorabilia, however as the Queen was held in such high regard worldwide, we expect these drawings to be of international interest, and we are delighted to be able to offer them for sale.”
