Queen Elizabeth Reveals Corgi Destroyed Royal Memorabilia in Letter Sold at Auction

For decades, Queen Elizabeth's feisty corgis became famous not only for their loyalty to the queen, but also for their “cute” yet “psycho” behavior in and out of Buckingham Palace. Their playful nature often led to unexpected and sometimes hilarious situations that kept the royal family on their toes. One such encounter was recorded in a note to a royal photographer, which was recently auctioned as a valuable letter from the late queen.

Auction house Hansons obtained a set of cards and letters sent by various members of the royal family to Alan Maxwell, a photographic expert who helped the royal family develop film, order prints, and select photos for Christmas cards. A box full of prints, proofs, cards, and letters from Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Prince Charles, and other members of the royal family was recently discovered 15 years after Maxwell's death.

One such note offers insight into the character of the late Queen Elizabeth's cheeky dogs, with a handwritten note from Queen Elizabeth stating. Queen Elizabeth signed the top of a piece of paper marked “Memorandum from the Queen” with her initials “ER.” The note was sold as part of a lot of letters and cards from the Queen and sold for over £1,000, far more than expected, at £1,900 (roughly $2,400) against an initial estimate of £500-700.

Sadly, there is no mention of what the photos in question were, but somehow, the corgis don't seem to have been scolded much. The Royal Family's dogs are notorious for their trouble, and on two occasions their behavior has led to murder and criminal convictions.

Craig Brown's biography of Queen Elizabeth II, Q: The Queen's Journey, reveals numerous instances of royal dogs gone wild. One such case involved Princess Anne's dog attacking two local children in Windsor, resulting in the princess being brought to trial and given a criminal record.

“Corgis have proven to be an unpredictable and temperamental bunch. In fact, in 1989, one of the queen's corgis was hit and killed by an out-of-control queen mother's dog.

Returning to the royal letter, auction house owner Charles Hanson called Maxwell, a photography expert who died in 2009, “a man of absolute discretion” who had earned the “respect” of the royal family.

“It is important in terms of the history of the royal family, but also to pay tribute to someone who was held in such high esteem by the royal family,” Hanson added in a press release.

“In the digital age, it's easy to forget that every photograph was sent for development and printing. As one of the most photographed people in the world, the royal family came to rely on Mr. Maxwell for their photographic needs, and he was proud to serve them.”