Record-Breaking Titanic Letter Fetches £300,000 at Auction

A unique piece of maritime history has been auctioned for a staggering £300,000, significantly surpassing its estimated value, shedding light on the tragic tale of the Titanic.

A remarkable handwritten letter penned by Titanic passenger Colonel Archibald Gracie, just five days before the ship's fateful sinking, has set a new auction record in the UK, selling for £300,000 (approximately $400,000) at Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Wiltshire. The letter, dated April 10, 1912, was expected to fetch around £60,000 but was purchased by an anonymous buyer at an extraordinary fivefold increase.

Describing Col Gracie’s reflections as "prophetic," the letter includes his assertion of awaiting judgment on the ship until the end of his journey. It was written from cabin C51 and was sent when the Titanic docked in Queenstown, Ireland, on April 11, 1912, being postmarked in London just a day later.

Col Gracie was among the estimated 2,200 individuals on board the Titanic, on its tragic voyage towards New York, where over 1,500 lives were lost due to the disaster after the ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic. His survival story features prominently in his later writings, particularly in his book, *The Truth About The Titanic*, wherein he detailed the harrowing experience of escaping the icy waters by clinging to an overturned lifeboat.

Despite managing to survive the sinking, Col Gracie faced severe health repercussions due to hypothermia and other physical injuries. His health deteriorated, leading to a coma on December 2, 1912, and he ultimately passed away from complications linked to diabetes just two days later. This auction not only emphasizes the enduring fascination with the Titanic saga but also highlights the personal narratives intertwined within this historic maritime disaster.