Christmas cards sent to Margaret Thatcher from the Royal Family, 1984. by DIANA, Princess of Wales; Elizabeth II; Margaret Thatcher

Royal Christmas cards to Margaret Thatcher Margaret Thatcher's own collection of Christmas cards sent to her by members of the British Royal Family in 1984, including cards from Princess Diana and Prince Charles, the Queen and Prince Philip, and the Queen Mother. Such cards to a Prime Minister become their property rather than belonging to the government, and as of such Margaret Thatcher kept the cards in her personal possessions until her death, whereafter Peter Harrington acquired them directly from the estate. They here appear on the market for the first time, presented in custom-made box in Tory blue, for both presentation and preservation.
Margaret Thatcher and the Royal Family had strained relations at times - these relations are the basis for the fourth series of The Crown - yet this should not detract from Thatcher's fervent belief in the institution of monarchy. Correct perceptions that the relationship between the Queen and Thatcher was not especially warm, and that Thatcher was no fan of the upper crust which the Royal Family topped, does not undermine the fact that Thatcher did nothing to weaken the institution, and moreover presided over a strengthening of the Family's popular support over her decade in power. The cards represent this strained, significant relationship in an especially human way. Of particular resonance is the Christmas card from Princess Diana - as an artefact linking the two defining women of the 1980s, Thatcher and Diana, the card can have few equals.
The year 1984 was significant for both the Royal Family and for Margaret Thatcher's government, seeing the birth of Prince Harry, the start of the Miners' Strike, and Thatcher's survival of the Brighton bomb.
Comprising the cards of:
i) Prince Charles and Princess Diana: inscribed by Charles "To you both - from Charles and [Diana's signature:] Diana.", with the printed message "With all Good Wishes for Christmas and the New Year". With the Prince of Wales's crowned insignia within a Garter belt and Princess Diana's crowned coat of arms stamped in gilt on the front cover, and with a photograph within a gilt ruled border of Charles, Diana, Prince William and the newborn Prince Harry pasted on the interior. With some light marking to interior.
ii) Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip: autopen signed by both "Elizabeth R [and] Philip 1984", with the printed message "With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year". With a photograph of the Queen and Prince Philip printed on the front cover, and with the Queen and Prince Philip's crowned cyphers within Garter belts printed on the interior.
iii) The Queen Mother: signed "from Elizabeth R", with the printed message "With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year 1984". With the Queen Mother's crown stamped in gilt on the front cover, and with a photograph of the Queen Mother in Venice pasted on the interior, with "Venice" printed underneath.
iv) Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips (estimated date): inscribed by Anne "To you both, from Anne [and Mark's signature:] Mark". With their joint monogram printed on the front cover, and with a photograph of their children and a corgi pasted on the interior.
v) Princess Alice: inscribed "To you and your family from Alice", with the printed message "With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year". With Princess Alice's crowned monogram printed on the front cover, with a photograph pasted on the interior under which is written "With the grandchildren 1984".
vi) Duke and Duchess of Gloucester: inscribed by Birgitte "The Prime Minister and Mr Thatcher Birgitte [and Richard's signature:] Richard", with the printed message "With all good wishes for Christmas and the New Year". With their crowned joint monogram printed on the front cover, and with a pasted family photograph on the interior with "1984" written underneath.
vii) Prince and Princess Michael of Kent: signed by both "Marie Christine [and] Michael", with the printed message "With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year". With their crowned joint monogram printed on the front cover, and with a pasted photograph of them and their children on the interior with "1984" written underneath.
Provenance: the estate of Baroness Thatcher. Together 7 Christmas cards. Housed in a dark blue cloth flat-back box by the Chelsea Bindery. In very good condition.