RAF pilot's cufflinks gifted by late Queen part of collection that fetched £10k at auction
Cufflinks presented by the late Queen to the RAF pilot who flew the body of the Duke of Windsor back to the UK have sold for £1,700 – more than four times their estimate of £400 at auction.
The gold cufflinks were part of a collection of gifts given to Squadron Leader Denis Lowery from royal heads of state from around the world, including Queen Elizabeth II.
The 10-lot collection, which had been expected to sell for £5,500-£9,000, sold for £10,600 at Hanson's Auctioneers Kent sale room.
Known for his smooth landings, the squadron leader flew members of the royal family, including the Queen, Prince Philip and Princess Anne, on their 1972 tour of southeast Asia.
On May 31 1972, Sqn Ldr Lowery flew the body of abdicated King Edward VIII to RAF Benson in Oxfordshire aboard a VC10 aircraft, three days after he died of throat cancer at his Paris home.
The body was transported in an oak coffin covered in the Duke of Windsor's personal standard. The Duke's last journey was captured in the opening scene of episode nine of season three of Netflix drama The Crown.
After joining the RAF in 1947, the father of seven joined No. 10 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, responsible for transporting VVIPs (Very Very Important Persons), including the royal family, government ministers and the prime minister.
The top seller in the auction was a Middle Eastern-style 21ct gold necklace, weighing 109 grammes, stamped with a khanjar – the national emblem of Oman – which sold for £3,100.
The piece was a present from the Sultan of Oman to Lt Col Lowery who, after his career as an RAF pilot, was invited to join the Omani Royal Flight in 1974.
In the 1967 New Year Honours list, he was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC) for his service in the RAF.
In 1985, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and was awarded the Order of the Special Royal Emblem in the service of the Sultanate of Oman.
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