A collection of childhood drawings made by the monarch of the United Kingdom King Charles are set to be auctioned in Staffordshire by Hansons Auctioneers, as per a report in the New York Post. The sketches, which the monarch drew when he was around five or six years old, have been discovered after almost four decades and could fetch up to 10,000 euros (Rs 8.8 lakh) at the auction.
His mother, Queen Elizabeth II and father, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, are depicted in the crayon and pencil portraits. The illustrations feature the Queen carrying one of her signature handbags and donning a striped outfit, purple tiara, and red earrings while Prince Philip is shown wearing a suit and bow tie. The words "Mummy" and "Papa" are also written on the sketches.
Other early drawings by King Charles include an Easter card with a bunny on it, a pair of carmine bee-eater birds signed "Charles," a delivery van with the words "Happybright, Mr Charles's Shop" and a rabbit, according to the outlet.
They are part of an "extraordinary" collection of royal artefacts that also contains 10 early works by the newly crowned King Charles. Additionally, there are royal correspondences, family pictures, Christmas cards, and a 1937 handwritten menu diary from Buckingham Palace. The auction house mentions that Henry Ramsay Maule, a writer, journalist and former royal correspondent, gathered them all primarily during the 1950s and the 1970s.
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: "This is an extraordinarily touching collection. These poignant childhood drawings and emotive photos remind us that away from the pomp, pageantry and demands of serving the nation, our royals treasure the ordinary, everyday moments of family life. Given a crayon and pencil, nearly every child's first drawings depict their family. Our King was no different. This collection will help people relate to him even more in his role as our monarch."
