King Charles's letter to his 'dear papa' sells for eye-watering amount at auction
Whilst the Queen and Prince Philip were away the young prince wrote a touching letter to his father.
A touching letter from King Charles to his ‘dear papa’ has sold at an auction for an eye watering amount.
The young prince, aged five at the time, wrote to Prince Philip whilst he and the Queen were on an eight week tour of Australia in 1954.
Dated March 2, 1954 on Buckingham Palace paper Charles wrote in block letters detailing how much he was missing his father.
“Dear Papa, I am longing to see you in the ship. Love from Charles.” The back of the second page is covered in crosses, representing kisses.
The letter, from a private collection, was sold for £5,700 including fees at International Autograph Auctions, in Malaga, Spain.
Calling the letter “charming” Auctioneer Richard Davie believes the letter shows how highly Prince Charles thought of his father in the early years.
He said: "It is quite extraordinary for letters of British monarchs written at such a young age to appear at auction.
"The only other similar example that I have offered previously was a letter written by Queen Victoria at the age of seven.”
Throughout the years Prince Philip had somewhat of a a contentious and "strained relationship" with his eldest son.
While the Duke of Edinburgh had a rough and rugged exterior and personality, the Prince of Wales has always been understood to carry more sensitive tendencies.
Prince Philip himself spoke out about the differences between the two in the past.
In a 2004 interview, the Duke of Edinburgh said: “Charles is a romantic – and I am a pragmatist.
“That means we do see things differently. And because I don’t see things as a romantic would, I am unfeeling.”
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During the Queen’s first tour of Australia, she became the first British sovereign to open an Australian Parliament.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the Parliament at 10:20am where crowds of more than 35,000 people lined the footpath to get a glimpse of the royals.
Charles and Princess Anne, who was aged three at the time, remained 10,000 miles away at home in London.
The eight-week tour of Australia was part of a six-month tour of the commonwealth the couple undertook from November 1953 to May 1954, following the monarch’s coronation.
The trip saw the young royal couple visiting a plethora of countries, from Uganda and Bermuda to Fiji and Malta.
Both the Queen and her husband “had become worldwide celebrities" since her coronation was televised.
