Betty Boothroyd estate sale to benefit six charities
Melanie May | 12 January 2024 | News
The Estate of the late Baroness Betty Boothroyd OM will be going under the hammer later this month, with the money raised to be divided between six charities.
The sale is taking place at Special Auction Services in Newbury on Tuesday 23 January and is estimated to fetch £200,000.
Boothroyd was the first female Speaker of the House of Commons, and died last February at the age of 93. According to reports, probate documents show that she left a £3.7mn will, with almost all of it going to charities including Guide Dogs For the Blind, the Samaritans, Marie Curie, the Royal British Legion and two hospices.
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The sale of her estate will comprise items relating to the Baroness’s career as well as her home life.
Lots include a large certified diamond solitaire ring, with an estimate of £70,000 to £100,000; the official programme for the inaugural ceremonies of John F Kennedy and Linden B Johnson, with an estimate of £300-£500; and a black leather House of Commons dispatch box, with gilt tooling bearing cypher for Elizabeth II and Betty Boothroyd, which has an estimate of £200-£300.
Other items include ceramics, books, furniture and clothing – plus a collection of frogs with an estimate of £50-£100, and a Buckingham Palace shower cap – estimate of £30-£50.
The catalogue can be viewed here.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.