(QUEEN ELIZABETH II.) 1963 Autograph Letter Signed, “Lilibet”, to The Honourable Gerald Lascelles, Queen Elizabeth II's First Cousin.
A wonderful Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by Queen Elizabeth II, with fascinating personal content to The Honourable Gerald Lascelles, Queen Elizabeth II's First Cousin. Personal correspondence between Queen Elizabeth II and her close family members are exceptionally rare to encounter in commerce. Queen Elizabeth II concludes the letter, "Love from Lilibet"; a name reserved only for those closest and dearest to her late Majesty.
ALS. 2pp. on 1 folded sheet of Sandringham headed notepaper, dated Jan. 7th 1963, tiny splits approximately 0.5cm to the edges of the folds, a couple of tiny spots to the paper, near fine.
The letter reads as follows:
“Dear Gerald,
Thank you for your letter. Your mother told me about Henry before Christmas, and I hadn't liked to bother you or Angela direct, but I am relieved to hear that he is better and is due out of hospital today. What a very worrying time you both must have had but I feel sure that Dr. Williams has been a great source of comfort to you for he seems to me to be such a wise and friendly doctor. I hope that the time in Barbados will be of great benefit to Henry and a rest for both of you.
Love from
Lilibet"
Provenance: The letter was acquired from Angela Lascelles’ estate by George Hancock Rare Books.
Gerald Lascelles (1924-1998) was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and titled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles. Angela Lascelles (née Dowding; 1919-2007) was a British actress, who married The Honourable Gerald Lascelles in July 1952 at St Margarets’s Church, Westminster. The subject of the letter, Henry Ulick Lascelles, is Angela and The Honourable Gerald Lascelles’ only child; born in London in 1953.
The Honourable Gerald Lascelles’ parents were Mary, Princess Royal (1887-1965), the only daughter of King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary (1867-1953), and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1882-1947). The Honourable Gerald Lascelles was educated at Eton and had a wide range of interests including jazz music and motor sport. He was a racing driver for a short period and served as President of the British Racing Driver’s Club between 1964-1991.
After their marriage, The Honourable Gerald Lascelles and Angela, then styled The Honourable Mrs Gerald Lascelles, lived at a house in Albion Mews, London. From 1955 the family lived in Fort Belvedere, Surrey, the country home of King Edward VIII (1894-1972), later titled the Duke of Windsor following his abdication from the throne in 1936. The couple divorced in 1978. The Honourable Gerald Lascelles subsequently married the actress Elizabeth Colvin (née Collingwood) the same year in Vienna. They had one son together. Angela did not re-marry. Following her divorce from The Honourable Gerald Lascelles, Angela remained on very good terms with Queen Elizabeth II, and continued to live in Windsor Great Park. Angela particularly enjoyed her invitations from Queen Elizabeth II each year to Ascot’s Royal Enclosure.
Please contact us for shipping costs if ordering from outside the UK.
A wonderful Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by Queen Elizabeth II, with fascinating personal content to The Honourable Gerald Lascelles, Queen Elizabeth II's First Cousin. Personal correspondence between Queen Elizabeth II and her close family members are exceptionally rare to encounter in commerce. Queen Elizabeth II concludes the letter, "Love from Lilibet"; a name reserved only for those closest and dearest to her late Majesty.
ALS. 2pp. on 1 folded sheet of Sandringham headed notepaper, dated Jan. 7th 1963, tiny splits approximately 0.5cm to the edges of the folds, a couple of tiny spots to the paper, near fine.
The letter reads as follows:
“Dear Gerald,
Thank you for your letter. Your mother told me about Henry before Christmas, and I hadn't liked to bother you or Angela direct, but I am relieved to hear that he is better and is due out of hospital today. What a very worrying time you both must have had but I feel sure that Dr. Williams has been a great source of comfort to you for he seems to me to be such a wise and friendly doctor. I hope that the time in Barbados will be of great benefit to Henry and a rest for both of you.
Love from
Lilibet"
Provenance: The letter was acquired from Angela Lascelles’ estate by George Hancock Rare Books.
Gerald Lascelles (1924-1998) was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and titled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles. Angela Lascelles (née Dowding; 1919-2007) was a British actress, who married The Honourable Gerald Lascelles in July 1952 at St Margarets’s Church, Westminster. The subject of the letter, Henry Ulick Lascelles, is Angela and The Honourable Gerald Lascelles’ only child; born in London in 1953.
The Honourable Gerald Lascelles’ parents were Mary, Princess Royal (1887-1965), the only daughter of King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary (1867-1953), and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1882-1947). The Honourable Gerald Lascelles was educated at Eton and had a wide range of interests including jazz music and motor sport. He was a racing driver for a short period and served as President of the British Racing Driver’s Club between 1964-1991.
After their marriage, The Honourable Gerald Lascelles and Angela, then styled The Honourable Mrs Gerald Lascelles, lived at a house in Albion Mews, London. From 1955 the family lived in Fort Belvedere, Surrey, the country home of King Edward VIII (1894-1972), later titled the Duke of Windsor following his abdication from the throne in 1936. The couple divorced in 1978. The Honourable Gerald Lascelles subsequently married the actress Elizabeth Colvin (née Collingwood) the same year in Vienna. They had one son together. Angela did not re-marry. Following her divorce from The Honourable Gerald Lascelles, Angela remained on very good terms with Queen Elizabeth II, and continued to live in Windsor Great Park. Angela particularly enjoyed her invitations from Queen Elizabeth II each year to Ascot’s Royal Enclosure.
Please contact us for shipping costs if ordering from outside the UK.
A wonderful Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by Queen Elizabeth II, with fascinating personal content to The Honourable Gerald Lascelles, Queen Elizabeth II's First Cousin. Personal correspondence between Queen Elizabeth II and her close family members are exceptionally rare to encounter in commerce. Queen Elizabeth II concludes the letter, "Love from Lilibet"; a name reserved only for those closest and dearest to her late Majesty.
ALS. 2pp. on 1 folded sheet of Sandringham headed notepaper, dated Jan. 7th 1963, tiny splits approximately 0.5cm to the edges of the folds, a couple of tiny spots to the paper, near fine.
The letter reads as follows:
“Dear Gerald,
Thank you for your letter. Your mother told me about Henry before Christmas, and I hadn't liked to bother you or Angela direct, but I am relieved to hear that he is better and is due out of hospital today. What a very worrying time you both must have had but I feel sure that Dr. Williams has been a great source of comfort to you for he seems to me to be such a wise and friendly doctor. I hope that the time in Barbados will be of great benefit to Henry and a rest for both of you.
Love from
Lilibet"
Provenance: The letter was acquired from Angela Lascelles’ estate by George Hancock Rare Books.
Gerald Lascelles (1924-1998) was a first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and titled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles. Angela Lascelles (née Dowding; 1919-2007) was a British actress, who married The Honourable Gerald Lascelles in July 1952 at St Margarets’s Church, Westminster. The subject of the letter, Henry Ulick Lascelles, is Angela and The Honourable Gerald Lascelles’ only child; born in London in 1953.
The Honourable Gerald Lascelles’ parents were Mary, Princess Royal (1887-1965), the only daughter of King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary (1867-1953), and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1882-1947). The Honourable Gerald Lascelles was educated at Eton and had a wide range of interests including jazz music and motor sport. He was a racing driver for a short period and served as President of the British Racing Driver’s Club between 1964-1991.
After their marriage, The Honourable Gerald Lascelles and Angela, then styled The Honourable Mrs Gerald Lascelles, lived at a house in Albion Mews, London. From 1955 the family lived in Fort Belvedere, Surrey, the country home of King Edward VIII (1894-1972), later titled the Duke of Windsor following his abdication from the throne in 1936. The couple divorced in 1978. The Honourable Gerald Lascelles subsequently married the actress Elizabeth Colvin (née Collingwood) the same year in Vienna. They had one son together. Angela did not re-marry. Following her divorce from The Honourable Gerald Lascelles, Angela remained on very good terms with Queen Elizabeth II, and continued to live in Windsor Great Park. Angela particularly enjoyed her invitations from Queen Elizabeth II each year to Ascot’s Royal Enclosure.
Please contact us for shipping costs if ordering from outside the UK.