Princess Diana’s Handwritten Letters to Housekeeper Fetch £54,000 at Auction

Handwritten letters and cards from Diana, Princess of Wales, to her family’s former housekeeper, Violet Collison, have been auctioned for over £54,000, offering a rare and intimate glimpse into the Princess’s personal life and her enduring kindness.

Violet Collison, affectionately known as Collie, served as the head housekeeper for Diana’s parents at Park House on the Sandringham Estate, where Diana spent her childhood. Despite the passage of time and the changing circumstances of Diana’s life, Collison remained a cherished figure to the Princess.

The auction, conducted by Sworders in Stansted Mountfitchet, included more than a dozen letters and cards from Diana. These correspondences, rich with gratitude and affection, often included personal updates about Diana’s life and her children, Prince William and Prince Harry. One particularly poignant letter, written on September 25, 1984, from Kensington Palace, expressed Diana’s thanks for a gift to newborn Harry and mentioned William’s adoration for his little brother. This letter, alongside a Christmas card from the same year, fetched £13,000.

Another notable item was a double-sided letter on Buckingham Palace notepaper dated July 8, 1981, just weeks before Diana’s royal wedding. In it, Diana wrote about the frantic last-minute preparations, noting that she had remained “quite calm.” This letter was sold for £7,150. The collection also featured Collison’s personal invitation to the royal wedding and her ticket to Diana’s funeral, sold together for £1,300. These artifacts highlight the significant role Collison played in Diana’s life, serving as a constant and trusted figure.

Luke Macdonald, director at Sworders auctioneers, emphasized the intimacy of the letters, describing them as windows into Diana’s genuine kindness and her strong bond with Collison. He remarked, “The fact that she was wanting to say a special thank you – for albeit small presents – really says how kind and generous and caring Diana was.”