Letters from Princess Diana to beloved 'Collie' go on sale

Violet Collison was the head housekeeper to John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and his wife, Frances Ruth Roche, at Park House on the Sandringham Estate, where Diana was born on July 1, 1961.

She would remain in Diana’s thoughts throughout her life, before she died at the age of 36 in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997.

Diana, Princess of Wales (left) at Sandringham with Prince William and Harry and the Princess Royal (right) on Christmas Day 1991 (Image: Newsquest)

Diana was born at Park House, on the Sandringham Estate and spent her early childhood there (Image: John Hocknell)

The correspondence spans from before Diana's marriage to Charles, then Prince of Wales, through the births of Princes William and Harry, and beyond.

Collie was invited to the Royal Wedding on July 29, 1981, and received a ticket for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, on September 6, 1997.

Most of the letters to Collie are thank-you notes for Christmas and birthday presents given to Diana and her children, Prince Harry and Prince William.

A thank-you note from Diana to Collie, in 1994 (Image: Sworders)

Part of the collection of notes and cards from Diana, which is coming up for auction (Image: Sworders)

A Christmas card to Collie, sent in 1986 (Image: Sworders)

Hand-written letters Diana sent to Collie, in 1980 (Image: Sworders)

They often include an observation or two about Diana's life at the time.

In one double-sided letter written on Buckingham Palace notepaper, dated July 8, 1981, just three weeks before the Royal Wedding, Diana writes: "...everyone frantically busy here doing last minute decorations ... the bride to be has remained quite calm!"

This letter, in its original envelope addressed in Diana’s hand, is expected to fetch £800 - £1,200.

Diana greets well-wishers at Sandringham in 1984 (Image: Newsquest)

Another highlight is a letter from the Princess of Wales, written from Kensington Palace on September 1984, thanking her former housekeeper for a gift to Prince Harry.

Diana notes that "William adores his little brother & spends the entire time pouring an endless supply of hugs & kisses over Harry."

This letter, along with a Christmas card from the same year, is also estimated at £800 - £1,200.

Princess Diana remained close to Collie throughout her life (Image: PA)

Collie saw the births of four Spencer children—Sarah, Jane, Diana (later Diana, Princess of Wales), and Charles whilst working at Park House.

After the Spencers' marriage ended, Collie followed Frances to London in 1967, working for Frances and Peter Shand Kydd until her retirement in 1973.

She remained close to Frances and the Spencer children until her death in 2013 at the age of 89.

Her letters and cards from Diana go under the hammer at Sworders, at Stansted Mountfitchet, Cambridgeshire, on Tuesday, July 30.