Pattie Boyd
, the legendary model and ex-wife of Eric Clapton and George Harrison, sold her collection of memorabilia, including an intimate letter from both, at an auction for
more than $3 million
.
It was a famous love triangle where Boyd was married to Harrison for over a decade and then divorced and married Harrison's friend Clapton in 1979.
George Harrison and Pattie Boyd in the '60s, in a photo that was sold at Christie's.
Photo: Christie's catalogue.
The muse behind the hits
Boyd
made her mark as a muse for both Clapton and Harrison,
serving as the creative inspiration behind hits like
The Beatles'
Something and Clapton's
Layla
and
Wonderful Tonight
.
In one of the auctioned letters, Clapton addresses a letter to "Layla", as he affectionately called her.
A letter written by George Harrison to Pattie Boyd.
Photo: Christie's catalogue.
“I am writing this letter to you, with the main objective of knowing your feelings towards a topic well known to both of us,” it began.
“What I want to ask you is if you still love your husband,” she continued.
“All these questions are very impertinent, I know, but if there is still a feeling in your heart for me… you should let me know!”
"Dear Layla," Clapton says to Pattie Boyd in this letter.
Photo: Christie's catalogue.
“Don't call on the phone!
Send me a letter… That's much safer,” concluded the former Cream guitarist.
More items from the auction
The letters between Boyd and her ex-husbands are dated to the '60s and '70s, at the height of both musicians' careers.
There is a letter from Clapton dated January 1971 written on a page of the book
Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck.
Additionally, Harrison's original handwritten lyrics to
Mystical One
sold for $60,000 and a photograph of the Beatles in India in 1968 sold for $66,000.
Pattie Boyd also sold some photos of herself from her time as a model.
Photo: Christie's catalogue.
Other rock history treasures in Boyd's collection include the original artwork Clapton chose for the cover of
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
by Derek and the Dominos.
The collection sold for a total of $3.5 million at Christie's London headquarters.
Video
"I am completely blown away by the enthusiasm of international bidders for these special treasures that I have always loved," Boyd said at the auction.
"I am very happy that new hearts are now enjoying them as they enter their next chapters. I am lucky that my life today continues to bring me joy and different adventures. I would encourage people to follow their passions and live their lives with pleasure," said the 80-year-old former model.