A red chalk portrait of young Queen Elizabeth II is anticipated to fetch between £2,000 and $2,700 at auction later this week. The late Queen had sat for Hungarian artist Philip de László back in 1933, when she was known as Princess Elizabeth of York.
The sketch served as preparatory work for an oil portrait currently housed in the Royal Collection. The piece is set to go under the hammer in Chelsea, London, on October 22.
Simultaneously, another item bearing childhood memories of British royalty is heading to auction. A colouring book collage created by Elizabeth II during her childhood is expected to fetch £6,000 at Waddington's in Toronto, Canada.
Princess Elizabeth assembled the scene from The Pied Piper at the age of eight using crayons and scissors. She painted figures of the Pied Piper and children, coloured houses and trees, and glued everything onto a larger sheet of paper, signing it 'Lilibet'.
On the reverse side, her mother inscribed: "Painted by Princess Elizabeth of York, Xmas 1934." In the 1950s, an unidentified member of the royal family donated this 14in x 27in collage artwork to James Ryan, an employee of Bishop's Move, a removal company hired by Buckingham Palace.
Sean Quinn, a specialist from Waddington's, remarked: "This is an endearing work of art that reminds us that our beloved Queen Elizabeth II was once a little girl named Lilibet who enjoyed colouring. Artworks by Her Majesty are rare, and I expect strong interest."
Several drawings by the late Queen from her childhood have surfaced at auctions in recent years. Royal memorabilia collectors from around the globe are showing immense enthusiasm for these rare items.
The upcoming auctions in London and Toronto are expected to draw significant attention from high-profile bidders and museums alike. Experts note that items reflecting the personal and private lives of monarchs before their ascension hold unique historical and sentimental value.
As the dates draw closer, auction houses have beefed up security and cataloging procedures to ensure a smooth bidding process for these treasured artifacts of British history.