Atlanta 12/16/2010 11:38:15 PM
News / World

Six drawings by Holland's Queen Beatrix have sold at auction for 16,750 euros.

The pictures - completed by the 72-year-old monarch when she was between 10 and 12 years old  -  depict a horse, ballerinas, models and elves.

Maarten van Gijn, spokesman for Christie's auction house who held the sale said the queen wrote in broken French on one of the pictures and signed her initials on another.

He explained: "On one of the drawings, she wrote 'Maison de bonatraie' for 'Maison de bonneterie' [a chain of upscale department stores in The Netherlands] so she had also not yet had many classes in French either.

"On the drawing representing a horse we can see on the bottom left signed the letters T, V and O, for 'Trix van Oranje' (Beatrix of Orange)."

Queen Beatrix - who has served on the Dutch throne for 30 years - gave the pictures to someone who worked at the royal court when she was younger and their family put them up for sale this year.

The entire collection was bought by Dutch beauty products and electrical appliances company the Ouberg Group, which has a range called Princess.