HER Majesty The Queen has received a special crown to mark her Diamond Jubilee.
The hand-crafted cardboard creation featuring gold buttons and pink glitter was made by six year-old Olivia Little, who lives at Ringhaddy near Killinchy.
A P2 pupil at Victoria College Preparatory School in Belfast, Olivia made the crown in an after-school art club which she then sent off to Buckingham Palace.
Olivia’s creation was posted off along with a little note to Her Majesty congratulating her on her 60-year reign which read: “Dear Queen, this is for your jubilee. I hope you like it. I love you. Lots of love, Olivia.”
Within a few days, a response from the Queen’s Lady-in-Waiting, Susan Hussey, ped through the letterbox at the Little family home.
An excited Olivia opened the response from the Queen’s aide, who is also Prince William’s godmother.
It read: “The Queen greatly appreciated the kind message you sent on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee and I am to thank you very much for your thought for her at this time.”
And after signing her name, Lady Hussey added in her own handwriting: “The Queen liked the crown you made very much.”
Olivia has revealed that she was the only member of the school art club which made something to send to the Queen and is thrilled she received a response.
“I was really delighted with my letter and am glad the Queen liked the crown I made for her,” she added.
Cherishing her response from the Palace, Olivia revealed that her next project will be to write a letter to the Queen’s husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Her proud dad Niall said the letter from the Palace had come as a complete surprise, and said his daughter was “thrilled” to have been acknowledged by Her Majesty.
He said his wife Suzanne, who had helped Olivia write her letter to the Palace, was more excited than her daughter when the response arrived.
Niall added: “We plan to have the letter framed and it will be hung up on the wall in our home for everyone to see.”