Unseen photos of Edward VIII & George VI revealed after 117 years

Brothers before they were Kings: Never-before-seen photos of Edward VIII aged 11 and nine-year-old George VI fishing, skating, shooting and playing golf at Sandringham are revealed 117 years later

• Photos are set to fetch a whopping £2,500 at auction in London later this month
• More than a dozen images form the collection belonging to Dr Frederick Jackson
• They show the royal brothers playing various sports between 1904 and 1906 

Never-before-seen photos of Edward VIII, aged 11, and George VI, aged 9, have been unearthed 117 years later.

The rare snaps, which have not been seen by the public before, show the brothers playing various sports in the Royal country retreat of Sandringham, Norfolk, between 1904 and 1906.

The charming images and archive of letters belonged to Dr Frederick Jackson, who was Doctor in Attendance at the residence, and were passed down in the family.

They are set to fetch a whopping £2,500 at auction in London later this month.

Around a dozen images form the collection, and show the brothers trying their hand at golf, fishing, skating and shooting.

Prince Edward, then aged 11, wears a kilt while hitting a golf shot in one photo.

And in another his nine-year-old brother Prince Albert (who was later known as George VI) holds up a fish he has caught. There is also an image of Edward captaining the Sandringham village football team.

Prince Albert (who was later known as later George VI) holds up a fish he has caught, aged nine

Pictured from left to right: Prince George, aged nine, and Princess Mary, aged eight, alongside Prince Edward, aged 11, holding hands and ice skating

King George V, left, on a shooting trip. Charming never before seen childhood photos of Edward VIII and George VI playing various sports have been unearthed

Pictured: Prince Henry, younger brother of George and Edward, on a pony. The collection is tipped to fetch £2,500 when it is sold

King George V pictured on a shooting trip. The auction house has spoken out about how lucky they are to have received the pictures

Another heartwarming image shows the brothers and their sister Princess Mary skating on the ice hand in hand, while the princes fish together in a separate photo.

The collection of 18 photos, also featuring Edward VII holding a shotgun, George V and Queen Mary, belonged to Dr Frederick Jackson, who was the Doctor in Attendance at Sandringham.

During the years he worked there, he built a close rapport with the young princes who sent him sweet letters and postcards.

The young Royals were clearly very fond of Dr Jackson, particularly Princes Albert and Edward, and he became an amusing and trusted companion to both on the golf course and shooting field. 

One lovely letter Dr Jackson kept a hold of is a thank you letter from George for a set of golf balls he bought him.

The young prince back then wrote: ‘Thank you for the nice box of golf balls. I wish you could come down and have a game of golf.’

Dr Jackson also told of his special relationship with the princes in a letter to his mother, which is in the archive.

He writes: ‘I am going to have nursery tea with the York Cottage kiddies.

‘Have sent him a box of golf balls… the doctor has never before been fortunate enough to get an invitation

‘After the first drive the Prince of Wales came up to me and shook hands.

‘I walked along with him for about a quarter of an hour & talked of shooting golf etc.

‘The shooting was A1, well over 2,000 pheasants.’

The collection is tipped to fetch £2,500 when it is sold by Dr Jackson’s descendants with London-based auctioneers Bonhams.

And the auction house has spoken out about how lucky they are to have received the pictures, which have been in the family the whole time.

Prince George and Prince Edward pose for a snap together during a fishing trip. The sale of the collection of photos takes place on March 29

Dr Jackson trained at Guy’s Hospital and worked in a field hospital on the Western Front during World War One

The letter dated December 14th, 1906 from Albert thanking Dr Jackon for the ‘box of electric golf balls’

Matthew Haley, specialist at Bonhams, said: ‘Dr Frederick Jackson acted as physician to the Royal family at Sandringham in the early years of the 20th century.

‘The young Royals were clearly very fond of him, particularly Princes Albert and Edward, and he became a trusted companion to both on the golf course and shooting field.

‘Dr Jackson had children of his own who perhaps were of a similar age to the young princes, so he knew how to talk to them.

‘Edward and George were both very sporty and rural Norfolk was the ideal place to be outdoors a lot.

‘Their relationship has drawn parallels with princes William and Harry today, and there is an enduring fascination with the Royals boosted by TV shows like The Crown.’

Dr Jackson trained at Guy’s Hospital and worked in a field hospital on the Western Front during World War One. 

Prince Edward, then aged 11, wears a kilt while hitting a golf shot. Dr Jackson also told of his special relationship with the princes in a letter to his mother, which is in the archive

Prince Edward captaining the Sandringham village football team. He was also the head of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews for 15 years

Tragically, he died aged 69 in 1942.

Edward VIII became king following the death of his father, George V.  

However, after ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII became the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. 

He chose to do so after the British government, public, and the Church of England condemned his decision to marry the American divorcée Wallis Warfield Simpson. 

Edward VIII also captained the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews for 15 years. 

Following his abdication to the throne, he was succeeded by his younger brother, George VI, who was the late Queen’s father.

He was a gifted sportsman, remained a golf fan for the rest of his life and played tennis doubles at Wimbledon in 1926. 

The sale of the collection of photos will take place at Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers in Knightsbridge on March 29.

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