Young Queen Elizabeth's Childhood Letter to Housemaid Heads to Auction
A charming handwritten letter penned by a young Princess Elizabeth to the head housemaid at Royal Lodge is poised to sell for thousands of pounds at an upcoming auction. The one-page note, addressed to Beatrice Stillman, was written when the late Queen was approximately ten years old and remained hidden for decades in a suitcase stored beneath a bed until its discovery two years ago.
Contents of the Personal Note
Written during a holiday in Cornwall, the letter reveals the future monarch's caring nature as she inquires, 'I hope the birds are well, and the gold-fish haven't died.' The adorable correspondence also includes an array of doodles by the young royal, featuring:
- A pair of horses and highwaymen
- A seated girl named Mary
- A dog called Jim
- A boy named John
- A boy and pony jumping a five-bar gate
- A man patting a horse
The letter opens with 'Sea Side, Sea Mead, Praa Sands. Dear Beatrice, It is very lovely here. We can go down on to the beach from the garden.' Elizabeth thoughtfully mentions sending 'some primroses we picked, wild' and notes 'There are some pale pink ones as well as the yellow.' She asks Beatrice to share them with 'Cootie (Miss Coote I mean) and Mrs Wade,' the latter referring to her nanny Marion Crawford, known as Crawfie.
Elizabeth signs off with 'Love from Elizabeth,' after mentioning that 'Jock'—understood to be one of her beloved ponies—is 'very well and happy here.' Nanny and Joanna also send their love.
Historical Context and Archive
This letter forms part of a cache of correspondence from the Palace to Beatrice Stillman, who joined the royal household in 1936 when Elizabeth was ten. The archive includes her engagement letter dated May 22, 1936, from the Duchess of York, later the Queen Mother, and an undated pencil note from Princess Margaret urgently requesting: 'Beatrice! Please could you look after my bathing suit? Margaret.'
Hansons valuer Justin Matthews expressed that seeing the historic note gave him 'goosebumps,' noting that 'Queen Elizabeth II, as we remember her - with her love of dogs and horses - is astoundingly evident in this letter penned by her younger self.' He observed that she appears 'observant, kind and concerned with others' wellbeing, just as she was in later years.'
Reflecting on the sisters' differing styles, Matthews remarked: 'While Princess Elizabeth's concerns are all about her pets and the welfare of staff, Princess Margaret's are slightly more sartorial. Both seem rather fitting for the women they grew up to be.'
Discovery and Provenance
Beatrice Stillman, who died in 1991, forged a close relationship with the royal household, leading to lifelong correspondence with the Queen Mother after marrying Alfred Twyman, a Windsor Castle gardener, in 1946. Their bond was so strong that when Stillman's brother-in-law John Dicker was killed in a 1940 air raid, the Queen Mother invited his widow and two young daughters, Rene and Jean, to play with the princesses at Royal Lodge.
William Westacott, owner of the letter archive and nephew of Rene, described how his 95-year-old aunt 'fondly remembers being presented to George VI and the Queen and the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.' She recalls playing in the large playhouse gifted to Princess Elizabeth in 1932 and receiving clothes from the princesses during wartime.
After Stillman's death, a suitcase of her letters, including Christmas cards, was sent to her niece Jean Westacott. When Jean died two years ago, the letter from Elizabeth was found by William and his family under her bed. Westacott recalled: 'We knew the letters existed, but to read them in the flesh was a 'wow' moment.'
Auction Details and Significance
The letter is estimated to sell for between £2,000 and £4,000 at Hansons Auctioneers in Penshurst, Kent, on February 27, though it may fetch far more. Matthews suspects it dates between 1936 and 1940, before Elizabeth and Margaret were relocated to Windsor Castle for safety during the war. He explained: 'The letter speaks of an idyllic childhood holiday before the war when we know Cornwall was a popular destination for affluent and aristocratic families.'
Matthews added that it was common for children to correspond with household staff they were fond of, particularly head housemaids who cared for their laundry and toys. Royal Lodge, with history dating to the mid-17th century, was described as the late Queen's 'happy place' from childhood until her death in 2022. George V gave it to the family as a weekend retreat, and its grounds included the miniature cottage Y Bwthyn Bach, a gift to Princess Elizabeth from the people of Wales in 1932.
Ahead of the auction, Matthews has seen 'a great deal of interest in this incredible letter,' describing it as 'an important and charming historic document' that reveals the innermost concerns of the future queen.
