A Vintage Signed 1966 Christmas Greetings Card With Notable Provenance.

Small 4to (24.5cm*18.5cm), a folding card from 1966, featuring a wonderful family photograph of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip with their four children and one of the family Corgis.

Addressed to "Gerald and Angela", signed, and dated by Queen Elizabeth II as "Lilibet", additionally signed by Prince Philip, with a printed Christmas and New Year greeting, two gold embossed crests to the front, in near fine condition.

From 1959, Christmas Cards sent by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were almost always signed using autopen. It is very rare to encounter a Christmas Card hand signed from after 1959, and rarer still hand signed "Lilibet" by Queen Elizabeth II; a nickname only reserved for those closest and dearest to her late Majesty. A lovely British Royal Family collector's piece.

Provenance: The card was originally sent by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to Gerald and Angela Lascelles. It was acquired from Angela Lascelles estate by George Hancock Rare Books. Gerald Lascelles (1924-1998) was Queen Elizabeth's first cousin and titled The Honourable Gerald Lascelles. Angela Lascelles (née Dowding; 1919-2007) was a British Actress, who married The Honourable Gerald Lascelles in July 1952 at St Margarets's Church, Westminster.

The Honourable Gerald Lascelles' parents were Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V (1865-1936) and Queen Mary (1867-1953), and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood. The Honourable Gerald Lascelles was educated at Eton and had a wide range of interests including jazz music and motor sport. He was a racing driver for a short period and served as President of the British Racing Driver's Club between 1964-1991.

Angela Lascelles was a British Actress who performed in West End Productions. Angela and The Honourable Gerald Lascelles' only child, Henry Ulick Lascelles, was born in London in 1953. After their marriage, the couple lived at a house in Albion Mews, London. From 1955, the family lived in Fort Belvedere, Surrey, the country home of King Edward VIII (1894-1972), later titled the Duke of Windsor following his abdication from the throne in 1936. The couple divorced in 1978. The Honourable Gerald Lascelles' subsequently married the actress Elizabeth Colvin (née Collingwood) the same year in Vienna. They had one son together. Angela did not re-marry. Following her divorce from The Honourable Gerald Lascelles', Angela remained on very good terms with Queen Elizabeth II, and lived in Windsor Great Park. Angela particularly enjoyed her invitations from Queen Elizabeth II each year to Ascot's Royal Enclosure.

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