Royal surprise for Wigan poet celebrating the Queen's platinum jubilee

Lilian Goulding, 92, got a letter of thanks from Windsor Castle - and was surprised to find it came with a photograph of Prince Philip.

She had previously written to the Queen to pass on her condolences following the death of her husband.

Lilian was named the borough’s honorary poet laureate so said people expected her to write a poem to mark the royal milestone.

But it was a real shock when she received a reply.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

“The envelope said ‘Windsor Castle’ and I thought, ‘what’s that?”

Lilian, who lives in Standish, wrote to the Queen last year after the death of Prince Philip and got a reply thanking her.

But it was the response she received to her poem that really surprised her.

She said: “This letter has a photograph of Prince Philip with it. It’s a lovely photograph of him. He seems to be in his 70s or early 80s and it’s really nice.”

Lilian was delighted to receive the correspondence, especially as she has always followed the life of the Queen, who is just a few years older than her.

She remembers living with her mother-in-law shortly after getting married, while saving money to buy a house, and watching the Queen’s coronation on television.

She said: “Televisions were very rare then but we had one and we saw the Queen on that little TV being crowned in Westminster Abbey.

“I have grown up with the Queen, watching her through her life and seeing all her dresses. I have always been interested in what the Royal Family is doing, especially the Queen.”

She said she loves to see what the Queen wears, admiring the different colours she chooses and saying she “always looks immaculate”.

The grandmother of three added: “I think she has been a good queen, one of the best we have ever had.”

Lilian has written poems since she was a child and recently penned one about Lady Mabel, who lived at Haigh Hall.

She is now looking forward to the official celebrations in June to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

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