Struggle for Lost Letter from Elizabeth I

A 1578 letter from Queen Elizabeth I is set to go up for auction and is estimated at around €21.000. The question is whether this 'auction gem' will make it to the hammer... 

Ghent is sounding the alarm to save a unique letter from Queen Elizabeth I of England from the auction hammer. The document, written on 30 December 1578 and addressed to the Ghent official Jan van Hembyse, is being auctioned by the Scottish auction house Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh.

However, the city has filed an official request to prevent the sale, as the letter, according to the Ghent authorities, belongs in their city archives.

Rare piece of history

The letter, written in French, has an estimated value of £14.000 to £18.000 (approximately €16.500 to €21.000). The document is a rare piece of history that shows how Queen Elizabeth I showed support for the Ghent leaders at the time. The letter was personally delivered by Daniel Rogers, an English envoy and spy, who also discussed its contents with Van Hembyse.

In the letter, Elizabeth I requested a fair trial for Catholic nobles who had been imprisoned in Ghent for over a year. For Ghent, this document is an important symbol of their turbulent past and that is why the city wants to postpone or cancel the auction until more research can be done into the origin of the letter. According to Ghent, the letter is part of their heritage and should be returned to the city archives.