A little girl from regional Victoria has received one of the last letters ever sent by the Queen after she sent Her Majesty a series of adorable photos of herself dressed up as a Royal astride her beloved pony Lady.
Olivia Akers, eight, who lives with her family on a dairy farm in Tallygaroopna in Victoria’s north, received a reply from the Palace on Friday – the same day it was announced Queen Elizabeth II had died ‘peacefully’ at the age of 96.
Her mother Natalie, the mastermind behind the adorable military-style costume, described the timing of the precious letter as ‘very serendipitous’.
The letter, signed by Lady-In-Waiting Annabelle Whitehead, thanked Olivia for her thoughtfulness in writing to Her Majesty (pictured, the eight-year-old and her pony Lady)
Ms Akers decided to pass on the adorable photos to the Queen herself and included a handwritten note from her daughter (pictured, Olivia holding her letter to the Queen)
She had initially planned for her daughter to debut the costume at a local horse show but had stumbled across a UK-based fancy dress competition online.
Ms Akers decided to use the competition as inspiration to finish the costume and asked the organisers if they would take an international entrant.
Olivia’s costume, which was inspired by the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony, didn’t end up winning the online competition.
However, Ms Akers decided to pass on the adorable photos to the Queen herself and included a handwritten note from her daughter.
‘Dear Queen Elizabeth, my name is Olivia Akers, I am eight-years-old and live in Tallygaroopna in Australia,’ the letter begins.
‘I really liked your video with Paddington Bear. Do you really eat marmalade sandwiches? I have included some photos from an online horse fancy dress competition that was for your Platinum Jubilee.
‘I hope you like my photos? My side saddle came from England. My pony’s name is Lady and she is an Australian pony.
‘How many horses do you have? I hope you had a lovely Jubilee. Love Olivia.’
Pictured is Olivia in her local post office in June, just moments before she sent the letter
A little girl from regional Victoria has received one of the last letters ever sent by the Queen after she sent Her Majesty a series of photos of herself dressed up as a Royal on her pony Lady
After posting the letter in June, Olivia waited patiently for several weeks before she received a reply, likely one of the last letters ever sent by the Queen.
The letter from Balmoral Castle arrived in Tallygaroopna on Friday – the same day it was announced Britain’s longest-reigning monarch had sadly died.
Ms Akers said she had been expecting some parcels and had asked the clerk at the post office if they had received any.
‘They said: “You don’t have any parcels, but you do have a very, very special letter here”,’ she recalled, adding she rushed to Olivia’s school to show her daughter.
The eight-year-old said she had been ‘excited’ to open the letter and proudly read the Queen’s response to her schoolmates.
The letter from Balmoral Castle (pictured) arrived in Tallygaroopna on Friday, the same day it was announced Britain’s longest-reigning monarch had passed away
The letter, signed by Lady-In-Waiting Annabelle Whitehead, thanked Olivia for her thoughtfulness in writing to Her Majesty.
‘The Queen was interested to see the photographs you enclosed in which you and your splendid Pony, Lady, are depicted in the costume you chose for the celebratory competition you entered,’ the note read.
‘Her Majesty was touched to know that you too enjoy horse riding, and I am to thank you again for your thoughtfulness in writing to the Queen as you did at this time.’
‘The timing is quite remarkable,’ Ms Akers said, adding Lady, who cooperated with the costume, was ‘the best pony we have ever had’.
‘Liv will treasure this memory for the rest of her life.’
Olivia’s mother Natalie said the letter would be treasured by her daughter for years to come
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