The adorable boy who signed his drawings ‘P. Charles’ grew up to be King – now they’re worth thousands
Adorable childhood drawings signed ‘P. Charles’ have emerged alongside touching letters revealing King Charles’ lifelong bond with the school matron he called ‘Dragon’.
A little boy who carefully signed his colourful drawings “P. Charles” went on to become King – and now his childhood artwork could fetch thousands of pounds at auction.
Three charming pictures created by King Charles when he was just a schoolboy have emerged after being treasured for decades by the matron he affectionately nicknamed "Dragon".
The drawings, dating from around 1958, include scenes from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and The Railway Children, along with a colourful lighthouse.
Two are signed simply “P. Charles” and dedicated “For Matron” – offering a glimpse of the future monarch long before the crowns, palaces and royal duties.
They form part of a remarkable collection of letters, photographs and childhood keepsakes expected to fetch between £15,000 and £20,000 when auctioned in Derby on December 1.
The archive belonged to Stella Jack, head matron at Cheam School in Berkshire, where Charles boarded between the ages of eight and 13.
And it reveals an affectionate relationship that lasted more than 30 years.
When Stella retired in 1974, Charles, then 25, sent a cheeky telegram describing himself as one of her "well-washed and rapidly ageing charges".
Even decades later, he had not forgotten her.
In 1990, after breaking his arm playing polo, he wrote to her beginning ”Dear Dragon!” and complained about the painful physiotherapy.
And on her 90th birthday in 2008, he sent flowers and a handwritten letter recalling his childhood illnesses.
"I shall never forget your matronly ministrations – especially when I had chicken pox and measles and a seemingly endless nosebleed!" he wrote.
The collection also includes school photographs, pictures of Charles arriving at Cheam with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, and a letter from his nanny arranging delivery of his pyjamas.
Stella's nieces discovered the treasures six years ago while sorting through family possessions.
One niece, Rachel Broad, recalled her aunt saying Charles had once washed her Morris Thousand car, nicknamed "the Snowball".
She added: "It would be lovely to meet King Charles and be able to say, 'We are the Dragon's nieces.'"
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said the drawings revealed the King's early appreciation of literature and a "genuine love of art".
Jim Spencer, director of Rare Book Auctions, described the discovery as extraordinary.
”The innocent drawings remind me of those created by my own children, so it's staggering to think they were done by our King when he was just a little boy,” he said.
”It's a window into an unseen and ordinary side of royal life.”