Unearthed Queen Elizabeth Letter Reveals How Charles and Andrew Reacted to Prince Edward’s Birth
Long before royal rifts dominated headlines, Queen Elizabeth was writing about a much happier family milestone — one Charles and Andrew were thrilled about.
A newly surfaced personal letter from Queen Elizabeth has offered a rare glimpse into a happy royal chapter. Written during the early months following the birth of her youngest child, Prince Edward, the correspondence reveals the late monarch's warmth, humor, and affection as she shared the happy news with a close friend. In the very letter, we also got to know how King Charles and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor reacted to the news of their brother's arrival.
Penned at Buckingham Palace on April 1, 1964, the two-page letter was addressed to Marion Stein, Countess of Harewood, who was a concert pianist and longtime friend of the late Queen. In the correspondence, Elizabeth thanked Stein for her congratulations but apologized for her delayed reply, explaining that she had been dealing with "a very large pile of correspondence." The Queen also made a light-hearted remark about the weather, writing, "It must have still been extremely cold there, though this country seems to be doing its best to copy it just now."
The letter's most charming details were centered on Edward, who had been born just weeks earlier on March 10, 1964. Elizabeth II shared that the infant was "flourishing" and spoke fondly about the family's happiness at having "a baby in the nursery again." She also revealed how her older children had reacted to the new arrival, noting that "Charles and Anne and Andrew are all thrilled" by their new sibling. The letter is now set to be sold by International Autograph Auctions Europe, and the price of it is expected to be anywhere around £1,000 ($1340), as detailed by GB News.
The newly revealed correspondence also follows the recent discovery of another letter written by the Queen later that same year to Sister Helen Rowe, affectionately known as "Rowie," who assisted with all of Elizabeth II's pregnancies. In the August 1964 note, the Queen described five-month-old Edward as "wonderful" and "good as gold," adding that he weighed 15 lb 12 oz. "He smiles and giggles at everyone, and makes everyone happy!" she wrote. The letter also mentioned Prince Charles, then 15, who was recovering from pneumonia after a camping trip. Although his condition was improving, the Queen noted that he remained "very frail as yet."
Richard Davie, a specialist at the Malaga-based auction house, stated that the newly discovered letters offer "an intimate glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II in her role as a young mother." It helps us to know her better and see a different version of her as a mother and not as the Queen everyone knew. Davie continued, "Its appeal lies in the Queen's warm, conversational tone, combining gracious thanks and gentle humour with affectionate observations about family life, making the monarch seem remarkably approachable and human."
