Prince Andrew, Princess Diana’s Christmas cards fetch over £12,000 at auction

A collection that contains items related to royalty, including Christmas cards featuring Prince Andrew and private thank-you notes sent by members of the Royal Family, sold for more than £12,000 at auction—surpassing its pre-sale estimate of £8,000.

The auction took place at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, close to Derby on Thursday.

Alan Maxwell, a photographic adviser from Harrogate, owned the collection and was employed at Wallace Heaton Ltd, the official photographic supplier to the Royal Family.

Maxwell was a key player in managing their photographic needs, handling the supply and framing of prints, and assisting in selecting images for Christmas cards.

Auction house owner Charles Hanson Hanson told the BBC:

"The Royal Family, among the most photographed people in the world, relied on Maxwell for their photographic needs - and he was a perfectionist."

The items that stood out were an autographed Christmas card from Charles and Diana, Prince and Princess of Wales from 1984, which commanded a price of £1,000, and loose items.A personal thank-you note from Diana to Maxwell underscored their close working relationship.

Queen Elizabeth II and her dogs were depicted in informal photographs in the collection, along with a note about prints being eaten by the puppies.

Justin Matthews from Hansons was “amazed” when the seller first brought the collection to their Penshurst office.