Wigan schoolgirl 'really excited' to receive letter and photograph from King Charles III

Five-year-old Gabrielle Smith sent him a letter passing on her condolences just a few days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September.

And she was delighted when a letter of thanks, along with a photograph of the young king with his mother, dropped through the letterbox of her home in Hawkley Hall.

Her dad Chris Smith said: “One Saturday morning in September, after the Queen had died that week, we were doing some crafting at the table. Gabrielle loves making stuff and colouring. There was a report on the news about letters going to the royal family and how the Queen always replied to letters, and we got chatting about it. I said we could write to the King if she wanted to.

“We found the address online, although it was still the Queen so we had to change it to address it to the King.”

Gabrielle, who attends Marus Bridge Primary School, wrote a letter expressing her sympathies for King Charles.

She wrote: “I like the King, who is very new. I was very said when the Queen died. I hope you are okay.”

Gabrielle posted the letter at Hawkley Hall post office and forgot all about it – until an envelope with a royal stamp arrived at her home.

Inside was the photograph and a letter from the King stating: “It was so very kind of you to send me such a wonderfully generous message following the death of my beloved mother. Your most thoughtful words are enormously comforting, and I cannot tell you how deeply they are appreciated at this time of immense sorrow.”

The reply came as a real surprise for Gabrielle.

Chris said: “She was made up. She was really excited about it.

"She has put the card in a protective sleeve and has taken it into school to show the other children. She is going to keep it as a keepsake.

"We told her that not everyone gets a letter from the King and you usually have to live to 100 to get one.”