503 THE ENGLISH ROYAL FAMILY (& FRIENDS) For those of you interested in “celebrity” there can’t be much doubt that the English Royal Family have long been at the top of the list. This fascinating collection of books and autographs will delight you with a number of gems, including EDWARD, Duke of Kent (father of Queen Victoria) signed piece; VICTORIA (on piece with attached seal); ALBERT (Victoria’s husband; autograph on piece); a letter by the future KING EDWARD VII dated February 1861 to his cousin Victor; a letter from PETER TOWNSEND on Balmoral Castle letterhead inviting the recipient to the christening of Princess Anne [1950]; ANNE & MARK PHILLIPS (signed cards loosely inserted into a biography of the princess); a book called “Diana” signed by the author (Sarah Bradford) and with a signed card from VISCOUNT ALTHORP , a Christmas card signed by JAMES HEWITT (Diana’s lover), the book “A Royal Duty” signed by the author PAUL BURRELL (butler to Diana), WALLIS SIMPSON autograph on piece (inserted into the book “That Woman” by Anne Sebba); EDWINA MOUNTBATTEN (signed piece); signed book “Coronation by SIR ROY STRONG; [QUEEN] ELIZABETH (the Queen Mother) signed Christmas card (1970); MOHAMED FAYED (signed photograph); Princess MARGARET, RODDY LLEWELLYN and [Lord] SNOWDEN signed cards loosely inserted at the front of the book “Princess Margaret - A Life Unravelled” by Tim Heald; a Christmas card signed by SNOWDEN; MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA (signed piece and on a Christmas card); “MAJESTY” signed by the author, Robert Lacey [1977]; the book “Phillip and Elizabeth - Portrait of a Marriage” signed on piece by the author, Gyles Brandreth; CHARLES SPENCER (3 different signed books); a signed letter from the Earl of SPENCER; PRINCE CHARLES (signature on piece inserted into the book, “CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES” signed by the author, Anthony Holden); NORMAN HARTNELL (signed book); LIZ EMANUEL (designer of Diana’s wedding dress; autograph on card); VICTORIA & CHARLES ALTHORP (autographs on card); a book on GEORGE V endorsed “For Ambassador Shirley Temple Black” by the author, Kenneth Rose; SARAH FERGUSON (signed Wedding FDC) together with a card signed by KOO STARK (Prince Andrew’s girlfriend) inserted into a biography by Jeff Coplon; SARAH (a signed copy of her autobiography); a letter signed by CAMILLA and a piece signed by CHARLES loosely inserted in a book titled “CHARLES & CAMILLA - Portrait of a love affair” and others. (38 items). $2,000–2,500 504 CHRISTINE KEELER and the PROFUMO AFFAIR The Profumo affair was a British political scandal that originated with a brief sexual relationship in 1961 between John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan’s Conservative government, and Christine Keeler, a 19-year-old would-be model. In March 1963, Profumo’s denial of any impropriety, in a personal statement to the House of Commons, was refuted a few weeks later with his admission of the truth. He resigned from the government and from Parliament. The repercussions of the affair severely damaged Macmillan’s self-confidence, and he resigned as Prime Minister on health grounds in October 1963. The reputation of the Conservative Party was damaged by the scandal, which may have contributed to its defeat by Harold Wilson’s Labour Party in the 1964 general election. When the Profumo–Keeler affair was first revealed, public interest was heightened by reports that Keeler may have been simultaneously involved with Captain Yevgeny Ivanov, a Soviet naval attaché, thereby creating a possible security risk. Keeler knew both Profumo and Ivanov through her friendship with Stephen Ward, an osteopath and socialite who had taken her under his wing. The exposure of the affair generated rumours of other scandals, and drew attention to the activities of Ward, who was charged with a series of immorality offences. Perceiving himself as a scapegoat for the misdeeds of others, Ward took a fatal overdose during the final stages of his trial, which found him guilty of living off the immoral earnings of Keeler and her friend Mandy Rice-Davies. All the major players are represented in this fascinating collection of autographed books, notably CHRISTINE KEELER (signed to the title page of her book “The Truth at Last” and also by Lewis Morley on a photo plate); LEWIS MORLEY (who took the famous photograph) in two of his books; MANDY RICE DAVIES (signed photo loosely inserted in her book “Today & Tomorrow”); also, a hand-written note on a card inserted into his book “Mandy” (and another with a fully signed card; JOHN PROFUMO and his wife VALERIE HOBSON (on cards loosely inserted into a book by their son, David Profumo “Bringing the House Down”); Lord DENNING (who led the Inquiry into the Profumo Affair) on a card loosely inserted in his book “Leaves from my Library”; LUDOVIC KENNEDY, who wrote a scathing eye-witness account of the trial of Stephen Ward (on a card loosely inserted in his book “On My Way to the Club”); “An Affair of State” signed by the author, Phillip Knightley and also the photographer, Lewis Morley; “An English Affair” signed by Richard Davenport- Hines; and a copy of Geoffrey Robertson’s “Stephen Ward was Innocent, OK - The case for overturning his conviction” . (15 volumes; mainly hardcovers and with dust jackets.) $1,000–1,500 ❖ 503 73