A handwritten letter from the late Queen Elizabeth to her midwife who delivered Prince Edward reveals heartwarming comments about her youngest son
An unearthed letter handwritten by Queen Elizabeth II to her midwife in 1964 reveals that the monarch was a doting mother after Prince Edward’s birth.
The two-page correspondence was addressed to the late monarch’s midwife and friend, Sister Helen ‘Rowie’ Rowe, on August 5, 1964 – five months after Prince Edward was welcomed into the world.
The royal mother of four, then 38, described the newborn prince as ‘as good as gold’ and said he ‘makes everyone happy’.
The letter will be sold on October 28 at the Eppli auction house in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany.
Sister Helen was on hand to deliver all of the Queen’s children, with Charles, Andrew and Edward born at Buckingham Palace, and Anne at Clarence House.
An unearthed letter Queen Elizabeth II hand-wrote to her midwife in 1964 reveals the monarch is a doting mother
The midwife died two years after Edward’s birth.
The Queen wrote to her friend: ‘Dear Rowie, I am terribly sorry that we never contacted you before you left London.
‘Mabel was ill in bed when you wrote, and I must confess that I very quickly misread your letter and remembered the wrong day you had noted, and when I was away in Arundel last week I suddenly became aware of your letter remembered and of course by then it was already too late!
‘The baby is amazing – as good as gold, trying to sit up and weighing 15 pounds! He smiles and gurgles at everyone, making everyone happy!
‘Charles, I’m grateful to say, is doing better, but still very weak. I hope we see you when we come back in October. Kind regards, Elizabeth R.’
In her note, Queen Elizabeth referred to the recovery of her eldest son Charles from pneumonia that same summer.
The future king, then aged 15, fell ill while camping with classmates from Gordonstoun School on the Balmoral estate.
In the letter, Queen Elizabeth described the newborn Prince Edward as ‘as good as gold’ (photo June 13, 1964)
Queen Elizabeth pictured with Prince Andrew, then 4, and Prince Edward on June 13, 1964
Sister Helen Rowe pictured with Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace after his baptism on December 21, 1948
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip welcomed their first-born son, Prince Charles, in 1948, followed by Princess Anne two years later.
Prince Andrew was born in 1960 and Prince Edward arrived in March 1964 – twelve years after Elizabeth took the throne.
Earlier this year, on his 59th birthday, Edward became Duke of Edinburgh, a title that previously belonged to his late father Philip.
He has two children with wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh: Lady Louise Windsor, 19, and James, Earl of Wessex, 15.
The family live in Bagshot Park in Surrey, although Lady Louise is currently studying at the University of St Andrews.