Handwritten letters from Britain's Queen Elizabeth to her midwife being auctioned

Jan 12, 2006, 8:39 GMT

Handwritten letters from Britain's Queen Elizabeth to her midwife - sent shortly after the birth of Princess Anne in 1950 - are being auctioned.

Elizabeth - then heir to the throne - speaks fondly of her new baby and tells how her elder child, Charles, is getting fatter and has an enormous appetite.

The letter was sent when the queen was 24, the future Prince of Wales was nearly two and his sister Anne was only seven weeks old.

It was one of several from the queen sent to her midwife, Sister Helen Rowe, affectionately known as Rowie, which are to be auctioned this month.

The letter, written from Balmoral, gives a rare insight into the life of the queen and her children.

It reads: "Charles is getting fatter, as he has an enormous appetite and takes a great deal of exercise. He enjoyed the train journey far more than Anne, who wasn't too keen on the rattling to begin with.

"She is steadily putting on weight up here and has got lovely pink cheeks after she has been out. The children's grandmother is spoiling her eldest quite openly and would do so with Anne if she got a chance."

Sister Rowe, who attended all four births of the queen's children, kept many diary-like letters and treasured mementoes sent to her by members of the royal family.

The auction will be run by Bonhams in Bath on Jan 16 and also includes several photographs, including touching portraits and informal snaps of the queen and her young children.

Copyright 2006 BANG Media International