The £12.6 million raised from the sale of William Foyle's private library is a record.

A spokeswoman for auctioneer's Christie's said the amount was the highest ever achieved for a library at auction in Europe.

Christie's pre-sale estimate for the 4,000 book library kept at Beeleigh Abbey near Maldon had been £6 million but it became clear this would be smashed after the first day sale on Tuesday raised £8.6 million alone.

This increased to £11.7 million by the end of Wednesday, following the sale of historical documents and English literature and the three-day sale ended on Thursday when the record-breaking total figure was announced.

William Foyle, founder of the world-famous London bookshop, built up a gentleman's library of rare and beautiful books from the 1940s until his death in 1963 at his country home at Beeleigh.

Following his death it passed to his daughter Christina to look after. When she died in June last year, leaving an estate of £59 million, the library was put up for auction.

Tom Lamb, the director and head of the book department at Christie's, had described the library as the largest British book collection of its type to appear at auction for over 20 years.

The collection spanned works from the 11th to 20th centuries, including early illuminated manuscripts, classics by Austen and Dickens, and early 20th century private press editions.

The star lot of the sale was a lavishly illustrated copy of La Fleur des Histoires dating from 1505 which sold for over £800,000.

Charity fund set to benefit

The bulk of the money of Christina Foyle's £59 million estate is to be set up in a charitable trust in her name.

Ian Marsh, her solicitor, said the trustees were pleased with the way the sale of the library had gone and Christie's managing of it.

"Obviously the more money that the sale has raised than was predicted means there will be more going towards charities."

Mr Marsh explained that setting up a trust or charitable foundation was a long and complicated process.

Highlights of the sale

Day one:

A lavishly illustrated copy of La Fleur des Histoires dating from 1505, Jean Mansel's great universal history in French compiled at the Burgundian court, which sold for £883,750.

A unique illuminated manuscript of Aesop's Fables from 1495 which fetched £575,750.

A 12th century illuminated manuscript of the psalms from Lambach Abbey, Austria, still in its original binding, sold for £245,750.

A first edition of the lavishly illustrated natural history in Italian by Pliny reached £102,750.

An illuminated copy of Ortelius's landmark atlas sold for £278,750, doubling the previous world record.

A leaf from the Gutenberg Bible, the first ever printed book, sold for £28,200.

Day two:

A selection of works by Shakespeare realised £595,330, including £465,750 for an exceptional copy of a third folio of the Comedies, Histories and Tragedies 1663.

A warrant for the release of Sir Walter Raleigh from the Tower of London signed by King James sold for £28,200.

An archive of autograph letters and documents from Nelson including a love letter to Lady Emma Hamilton and a fragment from the foretopsail of HMS Victory sold for £52,875.

A set of the works of Charles Dickens sold for £75,250.

A highly decorative edition of the works of Chaucer sold for £64,250.

Plinius Secundus, Natural History, 1476, sold for £102,750.

The complete works of Alfred Tennyson, sold for £22,325.

Book of Hours, illuminated manuscript on vellum, sold for £69,750.

Pictures: three items from the record-breaking Foyle collection sold at Christie's

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