AN AMAZING collection of Royal memorabilia - including personal letters from Diana, Princess of Wales - is to go under the hammer in Colchester next month.

AN AMAZING collection of Royal memorabilia - including personal letters from Diana, Princess of Wales - is to go under the hammer in Colchester next month.

The extraordinary items were the property of William Tallon, who served in the Royal household for more than 50 years and worked his way up to become The Queen Mother's Steward and the Page of the Backstairs - an ancient title for butler.

Mr Tallon, and his lifelong partner Reginald Wilcock, who was the under-butler, were devoted to the Queen Mother and she was to them.

This close relationship is reflected by the range of items amassed by Mr Talon over his 51 years in Royal Service, including hundreds of Royal Christmas cards, letters, photograph albums, books, Royal presentation gifts, pictures, sculptures, silver and objects of virtue, china, glassware and furniture totalling seven hundred lots.

The collection is to go on sale on Saturday, July 5, at Colchester auctioneers Reeman Dansie, after Essex law firm Ellison's Solicitors decided the auction should take place locally instead of in London.