we wrote the QUEEN and she wrote back!!

You know my Royals love runs deep, but if you can believe it, I'd never written to any member of the Royal Family. I know quite a few people who care far less about the Royals and have still done so for whatever reason, so I knew I needed to step up my game. Honestly, the final push to writing Queen Elizabeth was my realizing that at 93 years old, she won't be around much longer and she's by far my favourite member of the Royal Family. I felt our time to write Her Majesty was fleeting, so I asked the kids if they were interested in writing her a letter and Lily and Oli enthusiastically joined me in our correspondence. Chloe didn't want to, and I totally supported that (she always has shared a lot of similarities with her dad, haha!) We all wrote our own letters to the Queen and I also wrote a letter to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Megs and Haz!) congratulating them on the birth of their baby, since it was the week he was born. I've always heard that someone from the Palace responds to every letter the Queen receives so I was hopeful that in three or so months, we'd have our reply. My expectations were that if we did receive a response it would be a stock reply that everyone receives, and I was completely okay with that! 

You guys, every expectation was exceeded in every way!!!

Six weeks later, Brad has a goofy grin on his face as I came in the door with some errands. He's not a Royals fan by a long shot, but he is a loving and supportive husband, so he was genuinely delighted to tell me that I had some interesting mail waiting inside. I was confused because it was far too soon to hear back from the Queen. Then he handed me the envelope, quite thick with the words ROYAL MAIL and BUCKINGHAM PALACE typed on the top. I was in completely shock and couldn't stop laughing! If you can believe my self control (I still can't), I didn't open it right away because I wanted to have some time to really read the letter and take it all in. Later that evening when the kids were in bed, I opened the envelope to find three letters addressed to myself, Lily, and Oli and they were ALL unique and detailed, responding to distinct comments and questions my children posed and memories I shared (of Morgan and I's visit to London and my family heritage). What an amazing keepsake and gift! The Queen's lady in waiting also included some brochures for the kids of the Royal pets that the Queen keeps (corgis and horses mainly). 

Just last week I learned that my great grandfather received an OBE for his work with spitfires in WWII and that he had a letter from King George VI which my grandmother still has. Royal correspondence really is a piece of history and I can't believe I have my very own! A few weeks later we received a stock reply from Harry and Meghan thanking me for my best wishes in an envelope with KENSINGTON PALACE and ROYAL MAIL scrolled across it. It included a typed message and a colour photo of them at Archie's christening. Both are so special, but the Queen's reply might be my most prized possession! 

Here's the addresses we used if you'd like to write the Royals!

Queen Elizabeth II: 

Her Majesty The Queen

Buckingham Palace

London SW1A 1AA

William and Kate or Harry and Meghan (they have the same writing address):

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge or The Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Clarence House

London SW1A 1BA