AN oil painting of William Shakespeare and ivory portrait busts of historic Royals go under the hammer next week.

The painting of the Bard and the carved busts of 18th century monarch Queen Anne and her husband, Prince George of Denmark, are part of the summer catalogue sale at Addisons, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, on Thursday, June 26.

Attributed to the English School of Painting, the half-length portrait of Shakespeare is thought to date from between the 17th Century and the early 18th Century and depicts him holding a quill with an image of the Globe Theatre in the background.

Despite only measuring 18cm by 14cm, it is expected to sell for £700 to £1,000.

Richard Edwards, Addisons senior auctioneer and valuer, said: “Any portrait of Shakespeare – especially in the 450th anniversary year of his birth – is going to have a very widespread appeal but this one has a documented provenance that gives it additional value.

“It has already been included in major Shakespeare exhibitions and is well-known in scholarly circles.”

Meanwhile, the two portrait busts are set to sell for £400 to £600.

The sale starts at 10am.

Bidding can be made in person, online or over the phone.

The contents of the sale can be viewed on Tuesday, (June 24) between 10am and 4.30pm, and Wednesday, (June 25), from 10am to 7pm, and from 8.30am on the morning of the sale.

For information, call Addisons on 01833-690545 or email info@addisons-auctioneers.co.uk.