Precious childhood dolls and clothes played with by The Queen to be auctioned off for hundreds of pounds

A selection of dolls played with by the Queen and her sister when they were young girls are being auctioned off.

The precious dolls, alongside a selection of Her Majesty’s childhood clothes, are being sold by the family of the young princess' nurse, Clara Knight.

They were given to Ms Knight in the 1920s and 30s when she looked after young Princess Elizabeth and are expected to sell for hundreds of pounds.

Ms Knight, who died in 1946, passed the items on to her family who have been in possession of them for more than 70 years.

The selection includes Mickey and Minnie Mouse dolls made by the traditional British toy maker Dean's Rag Book Company.

There are also various items of clothing worn by baby Princess Elizabeth, including silk dresses and colourful playsuits.

Photos accompany the collection include one of the Queen sat on Ms Knight's lap wearing a bonnet and one of these dresses. Ms Knight's nurse's uniform is also featured in the auction.

At one point, the family leant the collection to the Bexhill Museum, in East Sussex, for an exhibition.

But they decided to auction the historic items after they were left boxed up for many years. The clothing is expected to sell for £1,500, while the dolls are each valued at £300.

Matt Ellin, specialist at Burstow & Hewett, of Battle, East Sussex, which is selling the collection, said: “The collection came to us in amongst many other household items from an ordinary local house.

“The owners thought the collection was interesting but were very unassuming about the content.

“Clara lived and worked extremely closely with the royal family and was given these clothes and dolls from time to time which she would then send to her family.

“It appears she came to the royal family in 1926 when Elizabeth was born and spent many years looking after both the Queen and Princess Margaret.

“It's a historic collection and we are expecting worldwide interest."