Sold! A collection of personal Christmas gift tags from Queen Elizabeth and her family went under the hammer at a London auction – and the handwritten notes give an insight about how the Royal Family exchanges presents. The Queen signed her tags "Mummy" to her four children Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, while using her nickname "Lilibet" for other relatives.
The tags are from Christmas cards, with some featuring the Windsor Castle insignia, and others featuring drawings of such seasonal characters as Elves.
One card has the phrase "Andrew, with love from Mummy" written on it, while the Queen signed "Lilibet" on two gift tags, including one for Nicholas, thought to refer to the Duke and Duchess of Kent's son Lord Nicholas Windsor. Lilibet was the name given to the Queen from a young age by her father King George VI.
Her Majesty signed her cards from "Mummy" for her four childrenThe Queen's husband Prince Philip goes by "Papa" as demonstrated by one joint present for his two youngest sons, as one card read: "Andrew + Edward for a bouncing Christmas from Papa".
Prince Charles shows his funnier side in a gift tag for Princess Alexandra – the youngest granddaughter of King George V – and her late husband Angus Ogilvy. He signed the note: "Alexandra + Angus, with all love for a very happy, inebriated Christmas from Charles."
Lilibet was the nickname given to the Queen by her father George VI © Brian Reeve
A former royal bodyguard apparently collected the gift tags and passed them onto his son-in-law. Although the royal aide refused to sell the collection himself during his lifetime, the seller believed that it is now time to part with the keepsakes.
Brian Reeve Auctions handled the sale, with the separate lots, bought by five different buyers, going for a total of nearly $7,000.