Intimate glimpses of the Prince of Wales' childhood are to be shared in a collection of photographs and reflections to mark his 60th birthday.
Rarely-seen pictures of the young royal at Balmoral, described many times as one of the prince's favourite places, are included in the retrospective, which will be exhibited at Windsor Castle from May this year to February 2009.
Several photographs of Prince Charles at Balmoral appear in the collection.
The prince, known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, has enjoyed many trips at Birkhall, an unpretentious house on the edge of the Balmoral estate which is sheltered by wooded hills.
It was the Queen Mother's residence in Royal Deeside and the young prince would often "escape" to Birkhall while a pupil at Gordonstoun. He later honeymooned there with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom he married in 2005.
One image from the collection shows him playing, aged three, in his toy car outside Balmoral as his mother looks on, with another showing the young prince with the Queen at a castle window.
A letter from the five-year-old prince to his grandmother, sent from the Royal Yacht Britannia, also features after it emerged from the Queen Mother's private collection. It was written during the maiden voyage of the ship, when the young prince and Princess Anne toured Commonwealth countries with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.
The Queen Mother had briefly joined them on the trip and in the letter, which is written on headed notepaper and is dated April 21, 1954, Prince Charles asked if she had enjoyed her trip.
It shows the tender affection the young prince held for his "granny" as he wrote: "Dear Granny. Did you like coming on board this ship? Love from Charles." The note is signed off with a number of kisses.
The letter is presented alongside a photograph taken during the trip which shows Charles, who will celebrate his 60th birthday on November 14, with his younger sister, Princess Anne, cleaning the decks of the royal yacht.
Photographs of Prince Charles' favourite toys, which include a wooden Prince Charles Express trolley of wooden bricks, are also included in the collection.
The prince's later years are captured with references and photographs of his days at Gordonstoun and Cambridge University, where he was awarded a 2:2 Bachelor of Arts after studying archaeology, anthropology and history.
His investiture in 1969 and his marriage to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 is recorded, along with the birth of his two sons, William in 1982 and Harry in 1984, and his second marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles.
Highlights of the exhibition, which reflect both personal and official life, will be presented in a souvenir picture biography, in which he will reflect on his role as chairman of the Royal Collection Trust.
The prince's appreciation of art, which was encouraged by the Queen Mother, led to a number of his own watercolours and sketches, some of which appear in the book.
In 1985, the prince revived the practice of taking an artist on overseas tours, and a number of works created on the trips are also included.
A total of 270 photographs and images, which have been taken from the Royal Archives, the Royal Photograph Collection and the prince's own personal collection, are included in the 120-page hardback book.
- Charles, Prince of Wales: A Birthday Souvenir Album is available from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and high street bookshops, priced £9.99.
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