Elizabeth II Childhood Artwork Heads to Auction in Canada and London

Two artworks linked to Queen Elizabeth II's childhood are attracting attention in the auction market, with a handmade collage offered for £6,000 in Toronto, Canada, and a red chalk sketch expected to sell for £2,000 in Chelsea, London. The pieces document different stages of the late monarch's early life and artistic experiences.

The collage, created when Elizabeth was eight, depicts a scene from The Pied Piper and is being sold through Waddingtons in Toronto. Meanwhile, the sketch was produced by Hungarian artist Philip de László in 1933, when Elizabeth was known as Princess Elizabeth of York, and is scheduled for auction on October 22.

According to the auction details reported by AOL and Geo.tv, the collage measures 14 inches by 27 inches. Elizabeth used crayons to color outlined figures of the Pied Piper, children, trees, and houses before cutting them out and attaching them to a larger sheet of paper.

The young princess signed the artwork Lilibet, her childhood nickname. On the reverse, her mother, Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, wrote, "Painted by Princess Elizabeth of York, Xmas 1934".

The collage's ownership history dates to the 1950s, when an unidentified member of the Buckingham Palace household gave it to James Ryan, an employee of Bishop's Move, a removals company hired by the palace. The artwork subsequently entered a private collection before being offered for sale.

Sean Quinn, a specialist at Waddingtons, highlighted the personal history behind the piece and its rarity among works associated with the former monarch.

"The picture, done at such a young age, was a gift from a member of the Buckingham Palace household in the 1950s to James Ryan. It is a charming reminder that our revered Queen Elizabeth II was once a little girl called Lilibet who liked to colour. Works by Her Majesty are rare, and I have high hopes for it." Quinn said.

The second artwork, a red chalk portrait sketch by Philip de László, was created in 1933 as preparatory work for an oil portrait now held in the Royal Collection. Geo.tv reported that the sketch carries an estimated value of £2,000 to $2,700 and is due to go under the hammer in Chelsea on October 22.

Both pieces belong to a broader group of childhood works associated with Elizabeth II that have appeared at auction in recent years. Historical accounts also describe Elizabeth and her younger sister, Princess Margaret, as enthusiasts of the performing arts who staged royal pantomimes during World War II to help maintain morale.