Queen Elizabeth II’s handwritten note to her grandson, the Prince of Wales, has resurfaced online nearly two months after her death.
An image of the sweet letter was shared by royal fan account Real Royal Mail on Twitter earlier this week, where it received more than 300 retweets and over 3,000 likes. The note, which was composed on Buckingham Palace stationary, was reportedly given to Prince William at Christmas along with an advent calendar.
“William, I hope you enjoy opening this each day, Granny,” the note read.
Real Royal Mail captioned its post: “A card written in the hand of #QueenElizabethII & sent to the young #PrinceWilliam obviously along with an advent calendar. It was purchased from a former employee of #PrincessDiana.”
According to the Daily Mail, the handwritten note was put up for auction by Boston-based RR Auctions back in December 2016, where it was expected to reach up to £1,400. A spokesperson for the auction house described it as “a seldom-encountered piece of correspondence from within the royal family, enhanced by its fitting Christmas time association”.
It’s likely the letter is dated prior to Princess Diana’s death in 1997, considering it wound up in her possession when it was then purchased by a former employee.
Royal fans were heartwarmed by the personalised note from Queen Elizabeth II to her grandson, as many people continue to mourn the monarch following her death on 8 September.
“How lovely. A message from a devoted grandmother to a grandson,” one person tweeted.
“So lovely,” said someone else.
Others were curious how such a personal note ended in the hands of a former royal employee, and demanded that the letter be returned to Prince William in the wake of his grandmother’s passing.
“This is so sweet but so sad that this very personal note from a granny to her grandson has been sold for profit and taken from the person it was intended for - I’m sure it would be a much loved memory in this time of grief,” one person wrote.
“This should be returned to Prince William, it belongs to him. A personal memory for him,” another user said.
Queen Elizabeth II died at age 96 on Thursday 8 September, after serving 70 years as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. In addition to the Prince of Wales, the Queen was also a grandmother to seven other grandchildren: Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, the Duke of Sussex, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn.
Prince William held a deep admiration for his granny, having once called her “the boss”.
“She may be my grandmother, but she is also very much the boss,” he reportedly said. The young royal also sought advice from his grandmother when it came time to make preparations for his 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton. Prince William was expected to invite dignitaries, governors and others famous figures he had never met, but the Queen told her grandson to “bin” the list as start with his close family and friends.
“I rang her up the next day and said ‘Do we need to be doing this?’ And she said ‘No. Start with your friends first and then go from there,’” William told author Robert Hardman. “And she told me to bin the list.
Prince William paid tribute to the Queen in his first public remarks following her death, in which he explained that he’s grieving the loss of both “an extraordinary leader” and his grandmother.
“I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly be real,” he said on 10 September. “I will honour her memory by supporting my father, the King, in every way I can.”
William said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader”, adding that the Queen had provided the perfect example of “service and dignity in public life” to his generation. “I, however, have lost a grandmother,” he continued. “And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of the Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade.”
“She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life,” Prince William said, seemingly referencing the death of his mother Princess Diana in 1997, when he was just 15 years old. “I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen.”
