We haven't been able to take payment
You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.
Update payment details
Act now to keep your subscription
We've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account or by clicking update payment details to keep your subscription.
Update payment details
Your subscription is due to terminate
We've tried to contact you several times as we haven't been able to take payment. You must update your payment details via My Account, otherwise your subscription will terminate.
Update payment details

Accessibility Links

Skip to content
The Times & The Sunday Times
The Times & The Sunday Times
  • Subscribe
Subscribe

Expensive trifles

The Times
The Times

Sir, The extraordinary prices realised during the auction of some of the late Princess Margaret’s effects (reports, June 13 and 14; letter, June 17) deserve the response caveat emptor more than many recent sales.

The quality of particular lots has taken second place to mere provenance. Unlike Diana, Princess Margaret was not an icon. The recent mania for royal items and memorabilia is, unless they are of quality, absurd. Being a royalist, I have occasionally walked out on to the A4 to pay my respects when corteges headed for Windsor. We were thick on the ground for the last journey of the late Queen Mother. In the case of Princess Margaret, a friend and myself were the only people in sight.

BRIAN NORTH LEE

London W4

Advertisement