Royal Christmas cards auctioned

Some of the cards were sent by the Queen

A collection of Christmas cards sent by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen Mother is being auctioned.

The cards were sent to a member of staff at the Queen's Royal Estate at Sandringham, Norfolk, and were going on sale at Cheffins Auctioneers in Cambridge on Wednesday.

Experts expect the collection to fetch about £5,000.

It also includes orders of service of the marriages of the Prince of Wales and the then Lady Diana Spencer and Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips.

"It is not very often that a collection like this comes on the market," said Cheffins' book and manuscript consultant Simon Vickers.

"It is certainly the largest collection I have heard of.

"We are talking about in the region of 60 cards sent by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen Mother to one person."