Sir Christopher Lee’s awards to go under the hammer
His widow will auction many of the prizes he received.
Honours received by Sir Christopher Lee, including his BFI Fellowship Award, wartime medals and Knight Bachelor’s Badge are due to go under the hammer.
The widow of the Hammer horror and Lord Of The Rings actor plans to auction around 50 medals and awards presented to him over his lifetime, before his death in 2015 at the age of 93.
They are expected to sell for upwards of £800.
The badge he was given when he was knighted in 2009 and the CBE he got in 2001 will also be sold, alongside his Commander’s badge of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from 2012, and the badge he received for his appointment as Commander of the Order of St John (C. St. J.) in 1997.
Lady Lee said: “Christopher was greatly appreciative of the recognition of his fans and his peers, and these honours and awards adorned our apartment for many years, bringing him great pleasure.
“It’s fitting that now a wider audience might have the opportunity to enjoy them, and to celebrate so many high points of his life.
“These awards represent a lifetime of dedicated work and diverse experiences, starting with his role as a young RAF officer in the Second World War, a period that went on to influence him throughout his life.
“I am happy to confirm that a percentage of the sale proceeds will be donated to Denville Hall, Northwood, the retirement home for actors and actresses.”
Other medals presented to the actor, who was also beloved for playing Bond villain Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun, include the World Award’s lifetime achievement award presented to him by Mikhail Gorbachev in 2003, the Unicef Award of 2012 and the Cinema For Peace Award in 2014, which he received from Angelina Jolie.
The catalogue will include an introduction by Sir Christopher’s niece, Dame Harriet Walter.
