The Daily Telegraph -
10 May 2002
Signed Lithographs of the Prince of Wales's watercolors have
raised 4 million for charity, it was announced yesterday.
While most talented amateurs could expect only a few pounds
at a village fair for their efforts, the three feathers on
the watermark and the royal autograph have a dramatic effect.
Prices Start at £1,600, with the average between two
and three thousand, and the limited editions command ever
higher figures when they come back on the market.
Anna Hunter, whose Belgravia Gallery has sold prints for over 11 years, said
the works attracted a wide range of buyers.
"Companies buy them for their boardrooms and we have
all sorts of private collectors. We delivered to a stately
home and an end-of-terrace council house in Bedfordshire on
the same day."
She added: "The people who buy the pictures admire the
Prince and love his work and there are people who want to
donate to charity."
Collectors also have an eye for an investment. Some buy the
same numbered copy of each edition to improve the value of
their collection.
Mrs. Hunter said the Prince was the latest in a succession
of accomplished royal artists, some of whom also sold their
work for good causes.
"Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, the Princess Royal,
lithograph of The Field of Battle was sold to raise money
for the dependants of soldiers fighting in the Crimea.
"We also have a collection of etchings by Queen Victoria
and Prince Albert produced at Windsor Castle."
More than 400 Charities backed by the Prince of Wales Charitable
Foundation have benefited, including the Gurkha Welfare Trust,
the Bristol Cancer Help Centre, and the Falkland Island Memorial
Chapel.
