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A sweet note from Queen Elizabeth II to Prince William has resurfaced in the wake of her death.
The correspondence, composed on Buckingham Palace letterhead, was purportedly penned by Her Majesty in the early 1990s and accompanied by an advent calendar she gifted her grandson.
“William,” the short note reads. “I hope you enjoy opening this each day. From Granny.”
The queen’s note was shared on Twitter by the Royal Household Mail account on Monday, where it quickly amassed thousands of likes.
According to the Daily Mail, the note was auctioned off by RR Auction in Boston back in 2016 after it was sold to the company by a former employee of Princess Diana.
This means the queen’s note was likely written to William prior to Diana’s death in 1997 and ended up among her possessions.
A spokesperson from the auction house described it as “a seldom-encountered piece of correspondence from within the royal family, enhanced by its fitting Christmastime association” and estimated it would fetch around $1,500.
The resurfaced letter thrilled fans who have been mourning the queen following her death on Sept. 8. Prince William is now first in line to the throne.
“Aww the sweetest thing,” one social media user wrote, before another mournfully chimed in: “We miss you ma’am.”
William was known for his close relationship to the late monarch, with the future king paying tribute to his grandmother in a statement shortly after her death.
“I have had the benefit of the queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade,” he stated. “She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life.”
William noted how his wife, Kate Middleton, also benefited from the queen’s “guidance and support,” while the couple’s three children have memories that “will last their whole lives.”
“My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary queen,” he added.
