Princess Diana letter in Surrey sale

A handwritten letter of thanks from Princess Diana is expected to be a major highlight of John Nicholson’s Fine Antique auction in Surrey on April 10.

Written on Kensington Palace headed notepaper and accompanied by the handwritten envelope covered with Buckingham palace registered stamps for April 28, 1988, the letter was dated three days earlier and addressed to Lance Corporal of Horse N Jones of the Blues and Royals, part of the Household Cavalry based at Combermere Barracks in Windsor.

A master tailor, Jones had made combat outfits for Princes William and Harry, then aged five and three.

The letter reads:

Dear Corporal Jones,

I so wanted to write and thank you very much for making the combat trousers and jackets for William and Harry – you made them up extremely quickly & I can’t tell you how thrilled and excited they were.

We have had great difficulty in removing their kit for such things as bathtime and ideally the boys would like to sleep as a soldier!!

It was extremely kind of you to have gone to so much trouble & this comes with our warmest possible thanks from the three of us.

Yours sincerely 

Diana

 The letter has been consigned by the family of Lance Corporal Jones. The estimate is £1,500-2,000.