A never-before-seen sketchbook filled with works of art by Queen Victoria at Balmoral, Frogmore Cottage and the French Alps 135 years ago has gone on sale for £8,000.
The redoubtable monarch was a talented amateur artist and took the small book with her on her travels in 1885.
She drew and painted the scenic landscapes she visited, from the Scottish Cairngorns at Balmoral, to the French Alps and the Isle of Wight where she had a holiday home.
She also painted a rural landscape at Frogmore Cottage, which was the home of Harry and Meghan before their move to California.
The queen also did preliminary sketches of her pet dogs while travelling on a train.
A never-before-seen sketchbook filled with works of art by Queen Victoria has been discovered 135 years later
The redoubtable monarch was a talented amateur artist and took the small book with her on her travels in 1885
Queen Victoria, pictured, died on January 22, 1901
The queen also did preliminary sketches of her pet dogs while travelling on a train
The leather-bound sketchbook, which has Queen Victoria’s insignia on the front cover, emerged from the family of Leta Smith who served as the Royal archivist at Windsor Castle for 33 years from 1924 to 1957.
It is believed she was gifted it for her years of service, also presented with the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) and a silver salver by a young Queen Elizabeth II.
All of the items have been revealed after a clear out of a house of a relative of Leta.
While the MVO award and salver are being sold together for an estimated £800, the unique sketchbook is being offered separately for £8,000.
The items are coming by for sale at Charterhouse Auctioneers of Sherborne, Dorset.
Richard Bromell, of the auction house, said: ‘There is no doubt that this was Queen Victoria’s sketchbook that she carried around with her in 1885 to quickly draw and record whatever she wanted to and then produce a larger work of it later.
‘Today people would have a smartphone to record a beautiful landscape they could later paint.
The leather-bound sketchbook, which has Queen Victoria’s insignia on the front cover, emerged from the family of Leta Smith who served as the Royal archivist at Windsor Castle for 33 years from 1924 to 1957
A watercolour which Queen Victoria painted from Balmoral
A preliminary drawing of Queen Victoria’s terrier dog ‘Walter’ lying on a blanket on the train from Balmoral in June 1886
Queen Victoria painted lots of watercolours from Balmoral and the never-before-seen sketchbook
‘For an amateur artist the sketches and watercolours are pretty good. Clearly she had some good people around her to teach her.
‘The family who are selling it uncovered it as they cleared a property belonging to a relative of Leta Smith.’
He added: ‘It is fascinating that this sketchbook has never been seen by the public before.’
Alongside the pencil drawings and watercolour paintings, Queen Victoria also wrote captions for them.
She wrote on the inside front cover that she started the sketchbook on April 11, 1885, while on board the French steamer ship La Petite Parisienne at Lac de Bourget in south east France.
The items are coming by for sale at Charterhouse Auctioneers of Sherborne, Dorset
The grounds of Frogmore at Home Park in Windsor in July 1885
Alongside the pencil drawings and watercolour paintings Queen Victoria also wrote captions for them
One watercolour portrays a French villa with snow-capped mountains in the background.
There are also two colourful views of the grounds of Frogmore at Home Park in Windsor in July 1885, as well as a sea view from the ‘tea table’ at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight also in July 1885.
The sketchbook also contained a preliminary drawing of her pet terrier dog ‘Walter’ lying on a blanket on the train from Balmoral in June 1886 as well as a watercolour version of the same image.
There is also the queen’s pencilled sketch of a stag that she states was shot at Balmoral in September 1886 by ‘Arthur’. The items are being sold on March 2.
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