The "naughty" birthday card Princess Diana sent to her accountant
An inside look into Princess Diana’s sense of humour has been revealed after a birthday card she sent to her accountant has been put up for auction.
Assumed to be from the '90s, the cheeky card, which includes a handwritten note from the late royal is featured on LA-based celebrity auction site Julien’s Auctions after its owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, decided to part ways with the valuable item.
The seller believes that the card was sent by Diana – who passed away in 1997 after a tragic car crash in Paris – to her accountant and close friend Anthony Burrage.
Photo: Julien's Auctions
The card shows an illustrated Sleeping Beauty and includes a witty anecdote that says: “A little prick in the hand sent Sleeping Beauty to sleep”.
Photo: Julien's Auctions
And while it may seem innocuous, as on first glance it seems to be referring to the classic fairytale where Sleeping Beauty pricks her finger on a spinning wheel, the cheeky humour is revealed once the card is opened. Inside the card the punchline reads: “Only the big ones are worth staying awake for!”
The message written by the Princess says: “A belated Happy Birthday for the 5th! From Diana.”
Bidding for the card is currently standing at $250 but the price is expected to increase each day and go up to $800-$1200.
The bidding site has described the card as: “A humorous birthday card with ‘Sleeping Beauty’ on the cover, handwritten in black felt pen by HRH Princess Diana: ‘Tony, A belated Happy Birthday for the 5th, from, Diana.’ Tony refers to Anthony Burrage, accountant and trusted employee of HRH Princess Diana.”
The owner of the prized possession recently spoke to The Mirror and said: “I know that Diana liked to send humorous cards, but I haven’t seen any quite this naughty, so for me it really shows that she was a fun human being that could share some dirty jokes with her closest friends."
They added, “This is a secret card that has been kept hidden for many years. A true gem for anyone that is a fan of this special human being.”