A generous donation by a visitor to Glamis Castle has helped safeguard a fascinating piece of Queen Mother memorabilia for future generations.
Richard Frost, from Warwickshire, donated a limited-edition collection of stamps on Wednesday.
The stamps commemorate the Queen Mother’s life and is more complete than that owned by the castle.
His donation has now completed this collection, and ensured that another piece of the Queen Mother’s history has been safeguarded at her childhood home in the castle.
Staff at the castle were full of praise when Mr Frost travelled to the castle on Wednesday to hand over his collection.
Spokeswoman Libby Reynolds said, “We would like to thank him sincerely and assure him that the collection will be most treasured and looked after by the Strathmore family and our castle staff.
“The fact he has made the journey up from his home in Warwickshire to Angus to deliver the books and make it possible for others to enjoy them is testament to his spirit and character.
“The special commemorative albums and printed sheets to honour the Queen Mother’s 80th birthday will make a wonderful and fascinating display. I’m sure they will be of great interest to castle visitors.”
The story behind Mr Frost’s donation began last year when he visited the castle and noticed that the collection displayed in the foyer was incomplete.
After chatting with staff, he offered to donate his set as well as a Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee set and coronation memorabilia.Earl’s thanksIn the letter he wrote to the castle after his visit, Mr Frost said he was six years old at the time of the coronation in 1937.
He had spent some weeks in hospital and the ceremony was during that period.
When he returned to school, he was presented with a commemorative book of the coronation and a pewter medal.
Deciding in his 70s that he was not getting any younger, he had started to think about disposing of the items.
He said that his visit to Glamis gave him the perfect option, knowing they would be in sympathy with the ancestral home of the late Queen Mother, and in the hope that by donating the items they would be of interest to castle visitors.
The Earl of Strathmore replied to Mr Frost expressing his thanks.
The items will now go on display in the family exhibition room.
However, because of the nature of books, it will only be possible to have one or two pages open at one time.
Any visitor who wishes to view the complete collection can do so on request.
The castle remains open for visits daily, until December 31.