The owner of the letter brought it to The Beatles Story, the permanent exhibition devoted to the lives of the group, for a valuation day on October 26. The letter was discovered tucked inside the sleeve of a record, one of a collection of 45s that the vendor had bought for £10 at a car boot sale 20 years ago.
“We have seen some fascinating pieces of memorabilia during the event. However, this is a real standout piece,” said Darren Julien, director of Julien’s auctions who valued and will auction the letter.
The letter is thought to be an unsent version of the one that Lennon sent to the Queen.
Lennon was awarded the MBE along with the other members of The Beatles in 1965. In the letter he explained that his actions were “in protest against Britain’s involvement in the Nigeria-Bifra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts.”
We’ll be doing some further research,” Julien added, “but this could be the Beatles find of the year.”
