Childhood drawings by King Charles III of parents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh to be auctioned

The drawings were produced by a young King Charles III when he was five or six years old

​Touching childhood drawings by King Charles III of his 'Mummy' and 'Papa' have been discovered after 40 years and could now fetch thousands at auction.

The crayon and pencil portraits depict his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and father, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, and were penned when the King was just five.

The fascinating drawings show both parents in grand attire with the queen wearing a striped dress with purple tiara, red earrings and one of her iconic handbags.

Lot 240 in the auction - photos of the Duke of Edinburgh. Picture: Hansons/SWNS

Prince Philip is sporting a smart dinner suit and bow tie and the poignant sketches are both inscribed 'Mummy' and 'Papa'.

They were produced by a young Charles around 1953-55 when he was five or six years old.

The drawings are now expected to fetch between £5,000-£10,000 when they go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers, in Etwall, Derbyshire, on June 16.

They are part of an 'extraordinary' royal memorabilia collection that includes ten early drawings by the King.

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, with a childhood drawing of Queen Elizabeth II drawn by a very young King Charles. Picture: Hansons/SWNS

It also includes royal letters, family photos, Christmas cards and a 1937 Buckingham Palace manuscript menu diary.

They were mostly amassed from the 1950s-1970s by author, journalist and former royal correspondent Henry Ramsay Maule.

Maule, from Reading, was the author of several books and worked as British correspondent at the New York Daily News for 21 years specialising in royal stories.

He also wrote, under a pseudonym, All The Queen's Children, an authoritative book about Queen Elizabeth II's offspring.

Lot 240 in the auction - a photo of the Duke of Edinburgh. Picture: Hansons/SWNS

He was a friend of royal photographer Marcus Adams and enjoyed a long working friendship with members of the Royal Household.

Maule also gained Palace approval to write a biography of Prince Philip.

He was in the process of collating information for this with the 'downstairs' help of long-standing royal servant Charlie when he sadly passed away.  The items, which were given to him to assist with his work, were inherited by his family when he died in 1981 and are now being sold on.

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: "This is an extraordinarily touching collection.

Lot 238 in the auction - a photo of the late Queen Elizabeth. Picture: Hansons/SWNS

"These poignant childhood drawings and emotive photos remind us that away from the pomp, pageantry and demands of serving the nation, our royals treasure the ordinary, every-day moments of family life.

"Given a crayon and pencil, nearly every child's first drawings depict their family. Our King was no different.

"This collection will help people relate to him even more in his role as our monarch.

"The items were given to Henry Maule to support his work in documenting the life of the Royal Family, which included writing All The Queen's Children.

"They have remained tucked away for more than 40 years since his death in 1981.

"The time has now come for others to enjoy them and gain fresh insight into the lives of the British Royal Family."

Other early drawings by King Charles set for auction include a pair of carmine bee-eater birds, signed 'Charles', expected to fetch £2,000-£4,000.

A delivery van in Harrod's-style livery stating 'Happybright, Mr Charles's Shop' could also make £2,000-£3,000.

A picture of a rabbit, owl, deer, squirrels, and an Easter card featuring the Easter bunny are expected to make a total of around £6,500.

Another touching item is a cartoon illustration, circa 1954-56, made by Charles for his father.

It depicts a master sailor receiving a tot of 'Hair Restorer' from an urn labelled 'Lilac Flavour'.

It comes with a note, dated March 25, 1954 reading: "Dear Papa, I am longing to see you in the ship, Love from Charles".

Handmade cards by a very young Princess Anne for her father, featuring a yacht, house and balloons, are also set for auction, £300-£600..

Photos from 1957-61 also show a young King Charles, Princess Anne, Princess Margaret, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mother.

Further images set for auction show Prince Philip from childhood through to adult life, including photos of him playing with a kitten.