Tome shows how 5-year-old Prince Charles doted on his granny

London, April 18 : Prince Charles was extremely fond of his granny and was writing affectionate letters to her from the age of five.

A loving note written by a five-year-old Prince Charles to the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, complete with crayon hugs and kisses, has been published for the first time.

The letter, with drawn lines to help the heir to the throne keep his writing straight, was written to the Queen Mother on the maiden voyage of the Royal Yacht Britannia in April 1954.

The young Prince and his sister Princess Anne, then aged three, boarded at Portsmouth before sailing to Tobruk in north Africa to be reunited with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and were briefly joined on board by the late Queen Elizabeth.

The letter will appear as one of 270 photographs in a book to be published by the Royal Collection to mark the Prince's 60th birthday in November, reports the Telegraph.

The book, Charles, Prince of Wales: A Birthday Souvenir Album, which is being published by the Royal Collection, spans his official and personal life from early childhood through university days, investiture as Prince of Wales, life with Diana, Prince of Wales, the birth of his sons, right up to marriage to the Duchess of Cornwall.

It also traces his childhood, schooldays, and life at Cambridge University, where he read archaeology and anthropology.

Images of his early childhood feature strongly, including some of his favourite toys. One picture shows a trolley of wooden bricks decorated with the words "Prince Charles Express", and another portrays his beloved Sunbeam Coupe pedal car, which he loved driving up and down the Grand Corridor at Windsor.

The book will be published next month, priced 9.99 pounds.

The book's release will coincide with an exhibition at Windsor Castle between May 16 and February 22 next year to celebrate the Prince's birthday.

ANI