Ghent seeks to halt auction of historic letter from Queen Elizabeth I

Ghent wants a historic letter from Queen Elizabeth I, written in the 16th century to Ghent inhabitant Jan Van Hembyse, back. The city argues the letter belongs to its historical archives.

The city of Ghent has officially requested auction house Lyon & Turnbull, based in Edinburgh, to stop the upcoming sale of a 1578 letter from England’s Queen Elizabeth I to Ghent resident Jan van Hembyse. The auction is scheduled for next Thursday. 

Written in French and dated 30 December 1578, the letter is valued between £14,000 and £18,000 (approximately €16,500 to €21,000). According to historical research, the letter was reportedly handed personally to Van Hembyse in Ghent by English envoy Daniel Rogers.

At the time, Van Hembyse served as the “voorschepen” (chief magistrate) of Ghent and exercised the effective administration of the city. In the letter, Queen Elizabeth urged that Catholic nobles who had been imprisoned in Ghent for over a year be given a fair trial.

Ghent officials argue that the letter belongs to the city’s historical archives. The city hopes the auction will be delayed or cancelled pending further investigation.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Korenlei and Graslei in Ghent © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}