(KING CHARLES III, formerly Prince Charles, H.R.H. The Prince of Wales.) 1995 Autograph Letter Signed.
An Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by King Charles III (then Prince Charles, H.R.H. The Prince of Wales), expressing sympathy to Mary, Countess of Waldegrave (1909-1995), on the death of Geoffrey Noel Waldegrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave (1905-1995).
6pp. on 3 folded sheets of St James’s Palace headed notepaper, dated May 25th 1995, a single fold to each sheet of paper; near fine, accompanied with Order of Services for the respective funerals of the Earl and Countess of Waldegrave; very good.
Provenance: Gifted by the Countess of Waldegrave to the previous owner who was a member of the Waldegrave household.
Lengthy letters by King Charles III with such touching content are exceptionally scarce.
The letter reads as follows:
“Dear Mary,
I was so terribly sad to hear the news about dear Geoffrey and wanted to send you my most heartfelt sympathy. I have been following, through your daughter, Sue, the heart-rendering trials and tribulations of poor Geoffrey’s illness in these latter years and my heart has bled for all of you. Oh, how difficult and cruel old age can be…
I find it hard to believe that Geoffrey has gone. As far as I am concerned, his passing represents the end of an era. He played such an important + prominent part in my life when I first became involved with the Duchy of Cornwall + I shall never forget the great kindness and consideration he showed towards a very young and ignorant Duke! Frankly, I adored him. He provided a wonderful, fatherly presence at a fairly crucial stage of my life and I learnt so much from him in one way or another. He was a true country gentleman of the best possible sort and there aren’t so many of those left now, I fear. Chiefly, I suspect, because everything seems to militate against them in this peculiarly ignorant age.
I shall always remember Geoffrey with boundless admiration and affection - and so will countless other people who knew him and loved him. Oh, how lucky I was to have known him….
I wanted you to know how much you are in my thoughts and prayers + to send you a small offering which comes as a token of my affection for you and Geoffrey
From
Charles”
Geoffrey Noel Walgrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave, was born in 1905 to parents Reverend Henry Noel Waldegrave, 11th Earl Waldegrave, and Anne Katharine Bastard, later styled the Countess of Waldegrave. Mary Hermione Grenfell was born in 1909 to parents Lt. Col. Arthur Morton Grenfell and Hilda Margaret Lyttelton. Geoffrey Noel Walgrave and Mary Hermione Grenfell married in October 1930, and Mary was later styled as the Countess of Waldegrave. The couple had two sons and five daughters together.
“Sue” who King Charles III refers to in the letter is Lady Susan Hussey; the youngest daughter of Geoffrey and Mary. Lady Susan Hussey is a long-standing member of the Royal Household; first serving as a Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II for 35 years, and as a Lady of the Household under King Charles III upon his succession to the throne. Lady Hussey accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to Prince Philip’s funeral in September 2022. Her important status within the Royal Household is reflected in being chosen to be a Godmother to Prince William by King Charles and Princess Diana. Lady Hussey’s daughter Katharine followed her Mother into the Royal Household as an official companion to Queen Camilla.
Geoffrey Noel Walgrave was closely connected to King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales. As an agriculturist, Geoffrey and King Charles III had a shared love of nature and wildlife. Geoffrey Noel Walgrave’s Obituary in the Independent states in part:
“He was Chairman of the Forestry Commission from 1963 to 1965. Trees greatly interested him, and he spent much time and energy over his own plantations on the family estate at Chewton Mendip, where he also set up a cheese- making business (Chewton still produces one of the best cheddars). Rural activities in Somerset were of abiding interest to him. He was President of the Somerset Trust for Nature Conservation and of the Royal Bath and West Show…….
Geoffrey Waldegrave's links with the Prince of Wales went back to his membership of the Prince's Council of the Duchy of Cornwall from 1951 to 1958. He was Lord Warden of the Stannaries from 1965 to 1976. The Lord Warden was the ancient link between the tin miners of Dartmoor and the Crown. He presided over the tinners' Great Court. The Stannary towns were Tavistock, Chagford and Ashburton…..
He had a special love of the Cathedral Church of St Andrew in Wells. For many years he was Chairman of the Friends; and in 1976 he became president of the great appeal for the preservation of the west front and the restoration of the high vaults of the cathedral. The appeal ran for eight years, and the work occupied 11 years, culminating in a great Eucharist with thousands of worshippers on the Cathedral Green, using the completed west front as a huge reredos. The Prince of Wales, as President of the Cathedral Preservation Trust, gave personal encouragement at every stage and unveiled the crowning figure of Christ carved by David Wynne…..
After education at Winchester and Cambridge, Waldegrave served in the Second World War as a major in the Royal Artillery. Various appointments followed. He was Joint Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1958-62. A story from this period illustrates his down-to-earth humour. At the end of a long conference, in which livestock experts had been promoting plans to fatten cattle to the ultimate level, Waldegrave calmly pointed out that, on the basis of the figures quoted, the ideal beast would be unable to stand.”
(Peerage.) (The Independent.)
Please contact us for shipping costs if ordering from outside the UK.
An Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by King Charles III (then Prince Charles, H.R.H. The Prince of Wales), expressing sympathy to Mary, Countess of Waldegrave (1909-1995), on the death of Geoffrey Noel Waldegrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave (1905-1995).
6pp. on 3 folded sheets of St James’s Palace headed notepaper, dated May 25th 1995, a single fold to each sheet of paper; near fine, accompanied with Order of Services for the respective funerals of the Earl and Countess of Waldegrave; very good.
Provenance: Gifted by the Countess of Waldegrave to the previous owner who was a member of the Waldegrave household.
Lengthy letters by King Charles III with such touching content are exceptionally scarce.
The letter reads as follows:
“Dear Mary,
I was so terribly sad to hear the news about dear Geoffrey and wanted to send you my most heartfelt sympathy. I have been following, through your daughter, Sue, the heart-rendering trials and tribulations of poor Geoffrey’s illness in these latter years and my heart has bled for all of you. Oh, how difficult and cruel old age can be…
I find it hard to believe that Geoffrey has gone. As far as I am concerned, his passing represents the end of an era. He played such an important + prominent part in my life when I first became involved with the Duchy of Cornwall + I shall never forget the great kindness and consideration he showed towards a very young and ignorant Duke! Frankly, I adored him. He provided a wonderful, fatherly presence at a fairly crucial stage of my life and I learnt so much from him in one way or another. He was a true country gentleman of the best possible sort and there aren’t so many of those left now, I fear. Chiefly, I suspect, because everything seems to militate against them in this peculiarly ignorant age.
I shall always remember Geoffrey with boundless admiration and affection - and so will countless other people who knew him and loved him. Oh, how lucky I was to have known him….
I wanted you to know how much you are in my thoughts and prayers + to send you a small offering which comes as a token of my affection for you and Geoffrey
From
Charles”
Geoffrey Noel Walgrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave, was born in 1905 to parents Reverend Henry Noel Waldegrave, 11th Earl Waldegrave, and Anne Katharine Bastard, later styled the Countess of Waldegrave. Mary Hermione Grenfell was born in 1909 to parents Lt. Col. Arthur Morton Grenfell and Hilda Margaret Lyttelton. Geoffrey Noel Walgrave and Mary Hermione Grenfell married in October 1930, and Mary was later styled as the Countess of Waldegrave. The couple had two sons and five daughters together.
“Sue” who King Charles III refers to in the letter is Lady Susan Hussey; the youngest daughter of Geoffrey and Mary. Lady Susan Hussey is a long-standing member of the Royal Household; first serving as a Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II for 35 years, and as a Lady of the Household under King Charles III upon his succession to the throne. Lady Hussey accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to Prince Philip’s funeral in September 2022. Her important status within the Royal Household is reflected in being chosen to be a Godmother to Prince William by King Charles and Princess Diana. Lady Hussey’s daughter Katharine followed her Mother into the Royal Household as an official companion to Queen Camilla.
Geoffrey Noel Walgrave was closely connected to King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales. As an agriculturist, Geoffrey and King Charles III had a shared love of nature and wildlife. Geoffrey Noel Walgrave’s Obituary in the Independent states in part:
“He was Chairman of the Forestry Commission from 1963 to 1965. Trees greatly interested him, and he spent much time and energy over his own plantations on the family estate at Chewton Mendip, where he also set up a cheese- making business (Chewton still produces one of the best cheddars). Rural activities in Somerset were of abiding interest to him. He was President of the Somerset Trust for Nature Conservation and of the Royal Bath and West Show…….
Geoffrey Waldegrave's links with the Prince of Wales went back to his membership of the Prince's Council of the Duchy of Cornwall from 1951 to 1958. He was Lord Warden of the Stannaries from 1965 to 1976. The Lord Warden was the ancient link between the tin miners of Dartmoor and the Crown. He presided over the tinners' Great Court. The Stannary towns were Tavistock, Chagford and Ashburton…..
He had a special love of the Cathedral Church of St Andrew in Wells. For many years he was Chairman of the Friends; and in 1976 he became president of the great appeal for the preservation of the west front and the restoration of the high vaults of the cathedral. The appeal ran for eight years, and the work occupied 11 years, culminating in a great Eucharist with thousands of worshippers on the Cathedral Green, using the completed west front as a huge reredos. The Prince of Wales, as President of the Cathedral Preservation Trust, gave personal encouragement at every stage and unveiled the crowning figure of Christ carved by David Wynne…..
After education at Winchester and Cambridge, Waldegrave served in the Second World War as a major in the Royal Artillery. Various appointments followed. He was Joint Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1958-62. A story from this period illustrates his down-to-earth humour. At the end of a long conference, in which livestock experts had been promoting plans to fatten cattle to the ultimate level, Waldegrave calmly pointed out that, on the basis of the figures quoted, the ideal beast would be unable to stand.”
(Peerage.) (The Independent.)
Please contact us for shipping costs if ordering from outside the UK.
An Autograph Letter Signed (ALS) by King Charles III (then Prince Charles, H.R.H. The Prince of Wales), expressing sympathy to Mary, Countess of Waldegrave (1909-1995), on the death of Geoffrey Noel Waldegrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave (1905-1995).
6pp. on 3 folded sheets of St James’s Palace headed notepaper, dated May 25th 1995, a single fold to each sheet of paper; near fine, accompanied with Order of Services for the respective funerals of the Earl and Countess of Waldegrave; very good.
Provenance: Gifted by the Countess of Waldegrave to the previous owner who was a member of the Waldegrave household.
Lengthy letters by King Charles III with such touching content are exceptionally scarce.
The letter reads as follows:
“Dear Mary,
I was so terribly sad to hear the news about dear Geoffrey and wanted to send you my most heartfelt sympathy. I have been following, through your daughter, Sue, the heart-rendering trials and tribulations of poor Geoffrey’s illness in these latter years and my heart has bled for all of you. Oh, how difficult and cruel old age can be…
I find it hard to believe that Geoffrey has gone. As far as I am concerned, his passing represents the end of an era. He played such an important + prominent part in my life when I first became involved with the Duchy of Cornwall + I shall never forget the great kindness and consideration he showed towards a very young and ignorant Duke! Frankly, I adored him. He provided a wonderful, fatherly presence at a fairly crucial stage of my life and I learnt so much from him in one way or another. He was a true country gentleman of the best possible sort and there aren’t so many of those left now, I fear. Chiefly, I suspect, because everything seems to militate against them in this peculiarly ignorant age.
I shall always remember Geoffrey with boundless admiration and affection - and so will countless other people who knew him and loved him. Oh, how lucky I was to have known him….
I wanted you to know how much you are in my thoughts and prayers + to send you a small offering which comes as a token of my affection for you and Geoffrey
From
Charles”
Geoffrey Noel Walgrave, 12th Earl Waldegrave, was born in 1905 to parents Reverend Henry Noel Waldegrave, 11th Earl Waldegrave, and Anne Katharine Bastard, later styled the Countess of Waldegrave. Mary Hermione Grenfell was born in 1909 to parents Lt. Col. Arthur Morton Grenfell and Hilda Margaret Lyttelton. Geoffrey Noel Walgrave and Mary Hermione Grenfell married in October 1930, and Mary was later styled as the Countess of Waldegrave. The couple had two sons and five daughters together.
“Sue” who King Charles III refers to in the letter is Lady Susan Hussey; the youngest daughter of Geoffrey and Mary. Lady Susan Hussey is a long-standing member of the Royal Household; first serving as a Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II for 35 years, and as a Lady of the Household under King Charles III upon his succession to the throne. Lady Hussey accompanied Queen Elizabeth II to Prince Philip’s funeral in September 2022. Her important status within the Royal Household is reflected in being chosen to be a Godmother to Prince William by King Charles and Princess Diana. Lady Hussey’s daughter Katharine followed her Mother into the Royal Household as an official companion to Queen Camilla.
Geoffrey Noel Walgrave was closely connected to King Charles III when he was the Prince of Wales. As an agriculturist, Geoffrey and King Charles III had a shared love of nature and wildlife. Geoffrey Noel Walgrave’s Obituary in the Independent states in part:
“He was Chairman of the Forestry Commission from 1963 to 1965. Trees greatly interested him, and he spent much time and energy over his own plantations on the family estate at Chewton Mendip, where he also set up a cheese- making business (Chewton still produces one of the best cheddars). Rural activities in Somerset were of abiding interest to him. He was President of the Somerset Trust for Nature Conservation and of the Royal Bath and West Show…….
Geoffrey Waldegrave's links with the Prince of Wales went back to his membership of the Prince's Council of the Duchy of Cornwall from 1951 to 1958. He was Lord Warden of the Stannaries from 1965 to 1976. The Lord Warden was the ancient link between the tin miners of Dartmoor and the Crown. He presided over the tinners' Great Court. The Stannary towns were Tavistock, Chagford and Ashburton…..
He had a special love of the Cathedral Church of St Andrew in Wells. For many years he was Chairman of the Friends; and in 1976 he became president of the great appeal for the preservation of the west front and the restoration of the high vaults of the cathedral. The appeal ran for eight years, and the work occupied 11 years, culminating in a great Eucharist with thousands of worshippers on the Cathedral Green, using the completed west front as a huge reredos. The Prince of Wales, as President of the Cathedral Preservation Trust, gave personal encouragement at every stage and unveiled the crowning figure of Christ carved by David Wynne…..
After education at Winchester and Cambridge, Waldegrave served in the Second World War as a major in the Royal Artillery. Various appointments followed. He was Joint Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1958-62. A story from this period illustrates his down-to-earth humour. At the end of a long conference, in which livestock experts had been promoting plans to fatten cattle to the ultimate level, Waldegrave calmly pointed out that, on the basis of the figures quoted, the ideal beast would be unable to stand.”
(Peerage.) (The Independent.)
Please contact us for shipping costs if ordering from outside the UK.