Queen Beatrix's charity auction raises 1.6 million

Possessions belonging to the late mother of Holland's Queen Beatrix have raised 1.6 million euros at a charity auction.

The monarch and her three sisters - Princess Irene, Princess Margriet and Princess Christina - have allowed thousands of Queen Juliana's paintings, glassware and furniture to go on display at Sotheby's in Amsterdam after they decided to "free up" more space for the family archives.

The first 200 items - which are part of an overall total of 10,000 possessions in 1725 lots - were only expected to make 480,000 euros but surprised organisers by taking over three times that amount.

Sotheby's managing director Mark Grol called the sale of items belonging to the late queen "a royal clear up".

Queen Juliana passed away in her sleep from pneumonia at the Soesdjik Palace, in Amsterdam, in 2004, several weeks before her 95th birthday after suffering ill-health for over 10 years.

The popular royal - who ruled for 32 years before handing the monarchy to her daughter Beatrix in 1980 - was known as the "bicycling monarch" as she insisted on shopping at her local supermarket and sending her children to state school.

All proceeds from the four-day auction will go to charity.