High price for Duke of Windsor HRH letter A LETTER in which King Edward VIII described his wife's lack of an HRH title as an "insult" has sold at auction for well over its expected price. The 1939 letter from the Duke of Windsor sold to a private collector in Britain on Thursday for a hammer price of STG12,000 ($A20,623). It had only been expected to fetch as much as STG8000. The letter to Daily Express newspaper proprietor Lord Beaverbrook aimed to correct an article published in the Sunday Express which claimed the former monarch, who abdicated in 1936 to marry divorcee Wallis Simpson, wished to live in France. In response to the article, Edward writes: "While the Duchess and I have received the greatest courtesy in all the countries, especially France, where we have resided since our marriage, I have not lived out of England for over two years by preference. It is true that there exists no law to prevent my returning to my country whenever I wish to do so, but I have remained away out of deference to my brother in order to leave the field clear for him to establish himself on the throne, which it is admitted he has succeeded in doing. He also dispels claims that he had set conditions for his return to England, including that his new wife be accorded the title of Royal Highness. Edward wrote: "I have never made any such announcement nor would I ever set conditions upon my return to England. Regarding the two stipulations I am alledged (sic) to have made, I wish to say firstly, that while naturally the matter of witholding (sic) the title of Royal Highness from the Duchess is an insult which I as her husband and a member of the Royal Family have always resented far more deeply than she has, we have too many other more important interests to worry over such a triviality. Secondly, whatever may be the behaviour of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth towards the Duchess, it would in no way affect any plans we might make for going to England. The item was among 200 lots of royal memorabilia auctioned by International Autograph Auctions in Nottingham. A letter in which George VI expresses his dislike of public speaking, written after his first Christmas broadcast as king in 1937, sold for STG3200. King George had a stutter he struggled with, captured in the film The King's Speech.