Queen Elizabeth's letters up for auction

Two letters written by Britain's Queen Elizabeth after the birth of her sons Prince Charles and Prince Andrew will be sold at auction on Saturday (02.04.11).

The letters show a maternal side to the queen, who write to her second cousin Lady Mary Cambridge that she couldn't believe she and husband Prince Philip now had a baby of their own.

She wrote after Charles birth in 1948: "The baby is very sweet, and Philip and I are enormously proud of him. I still find it hard to believe that I really have a baby of my own!"

In a second letter, after Andrew was born in 1960, Queen Elizabeth revealed he was in danger of being spoiled by the whole family including his two older siblings Charles and Princess Anne.

She said: "The baby is adorable, and is very good, and putting on weight well.

"Both the older children are completely riveted by him, and all in all, he's going to be terribly spoilt by all of us, I'm sure!"

Richard Davie, from International Autograph Auctions, who is selling the rare letters told Britain's Daily Mail: "Rarely does the queen convey such emotion to the population so it is fascinating to read about her feelings.

"It is especially interesting to hear her write about her children and how proud she was. Prince Charles is described as 'sweet' and Prince Andrew is 'adorable'.

"The birth of Prince Charles was of course hugely important in the context of the future of the monarchy. But his arrival prompts the same maternal reaction in the queen as with any other new mum.'

The letters are expected to make between £800 and £1,200 each when they go on sale.