Edward VIII love letter auctions for $8,247

A handwritten signed love letter from the future Edward VIII has sold for £5,100 ($8,247) in the UK, beating its £1,500 estimate by 240%.

The then Prince of Wales, 25, wrote the letter to Freda Dudley Ward in 1919, a married woman with two children, stating he would "look in after the opera".

Edward VIII love letter
A busy night: opera followed by an illicit liaison

The future king and Dudley Ward had first met in 1918 during the first world war as they sheltered in a shop doorway from a Zeppelin raid.

They embarked on a love affair for five years, though they remained close friends for several years after.

"I ought to be able to get round about 12.00. & I'll let myself in as I've (still) got the key!" writes the amorous prince on paper he has headed "Buckhouse S.W".

"I only wish I could come earlier but I'm told the opera can't be over before 11.30 so it can't be helped tho."

He signs off, "Your devoted & adoring petit amoureuse David" - the name he used prior to taking the crown.

Mark Huddleston, from the auction house behind the November 25 sale, Fellows, explained the attraction of the letter to collectors.

"This letter is a fascinating piece of royal history - it is a private window into the heady relationship between the infamous Prince and his mistress in their first months together," he said.

"It's a rare pleasure to see such a socially important artifact."

The arrival of Wallis Simpson on the scene in 1934 finally rid Edward of his lingering affection for Dudley Ward. Edward famously abdicated in 1936, just months into his reign, so that he could marry the twice divorced Simpson.

View this superb handwritten signed letter from Wallis Simpson to a friend we have for sale, written during her honeymoon with Edward in 1937.

A pocket watch disguised as a £5 coin, which Edward gifted to Dudley Ward in 1927, auctioned for £15,100 ($23,800) in 2012.

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