South Jersey man shares special Royal Mail he received from Queen Elizabeth II following her corgi’s death

HADDON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) — A South Jersey man is remembering a special exchange he had with Queen Elizabeth II through the mail.

Tom Martin knows how strong the bond is between a dog and its owner.

So when Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved corgi Willow died four years ago, he was moved to write her a letter offering his condolences.

“I love dogs. I know how heartbreaking it is when a dog dies. And I just wanted to let her know that I was sorry that Willow had passed like that,” Martin said. 

A month or two passed and he soon forgot all about the letter. Then an envelope arrived labeled “Royal Mail,” stamped with the symbol of the queen.

“I was very surprised, Martin said. 

It was a response from the queen’s personal assistant, or lady-in-waiting.

“So it’s dated June 29, 2018, ‘Dear Mr. Martin, the Queen wishes me to thank you for the kind message you sent following the death of her majesty’s corgi, Willow. Your thoughtfulness and writing as you did is greatly appreciated by the queen. Yours sincerely, Susan Hussey, the lady-in-waiting,'” Martin read. 

Martin says this letter from Buckingham Palace is one of his most prized possessions and if his house were ever burning down, he knows what he would grab first. 

“I think I’d grab my dog first, the letter second and my girlfriend third, and then get out of here,” Martin said. 

Martin was initially inspired to write to the queen after reading an article in the New Yorker, describing how her majesty comforted a doctor who witnessed the ravages of war by sitting with him for 20 minutes while feeding corgis.

That’s when he realized her compassion and kindness.

“To think of some small fry in New Jersey having just even, you know, 10 seconds for the queen to say, ‘huh, that was nice of him,'” Martin said.  

A special connection to the late queen, hanging on the wall, that he’ll always treasure.