Bedroom suite made for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip up for auction

This bedroom suite, made for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's visit to Hamilton in the summer of 1953-54, is going up for auction in Auckland.

A kauri bedroom suite made for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip when the pair visited Hamilton is going up for auction.

The suite, made in the Louis XV style, was constructed by Hamilton joiners Smith and Clarke (then Clarke Industries) for the royal couple during Queen Elizabeth’s coronation visit in 1953.

The handmade kauri suite is made up of two single beds, a cheval mirror, two upholstered bedroom chairs, a rectangular coffee table with eight legs, a bedside table, a square side table and a writing table with three drawers.

The auction goes live tonight at Cordy’s auction house in Auckland with a $10 start and closes on the night of August 25.

In 1980, it was purchased at the receivership auction for the Hamilton Hotel for $2000 and then sold to other owners.

The auction for the suite closes on August 25.

Cordy’s director Andrew Grigg told the Herald the suite has an amazing history.

“I can just imagine the pageantry of the day, I believe some 25,000 lined Victoria St, Hamilton’s main st, when the royal couple arrived.

“After all the fanfare, the royal couple retired to their room, where this suite was waiting for them.”

The suite is in great condition, and reports, including a North Shore Times article from April 6, 1989, show it was restored professionally by a previous owner, he said.

A 1989 North Shore Times article detailing the history of the suite.

Although the design, made of the best kauri, is not what is popular today, it will be “the find of a lifetime” for some discerning buyer, said Grigg.

“Queen Elizabeth II was the most popular monarch in recent history and probably even more so back in 1953.

“To have a chance to own this suite for probably not a lot of money is special.”

In celebration of her coronation earlier that year, Queen Elizabeth visited 46 cities and towns across the country in the summer of 1953-54.

The royal visit was a big occasion, as crowds of thousands turned up hours before the Queen was due, to catch sight of her for a split second as she drove past.

Queen Elizabeth II's last official portrait. A bedroom suite made for her 1953 visit to Hamilton is going up for auction. Photo / Royal Family

Queen Elizabeth, Britain and New Zealand’s longest-serving monarch, died on September 8, 2022, aged 96. She made 10 visits to New Zealand.

Her husband, Prince Philip, whom she described as “my strength and stay all these years”, died in April 2021, aged 99.

A large image of the former Queen is also in the same auction.