A letter from King George VI to a young Princess Elizabeth has resurfaced on the day of her state funeral.
The message, in which the late king writes that he feels he ‘had lost something very precious’, is particularly apt today as the nation waves a last goodbye to its longest-reigning monarch.
Sent shortly after the wedding in 1947, it says: ‘I was so proud of you and thrilled at having you so close to me on our long walk in Westminster Abbey.‘You were so calm and composed during the Service and said your words with such conviction, that I knew everything was all right.The royal couple during the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1982
The late and Prince Philip arrive at St Paul’s Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving held in honour of her 80th birthday ‘I have watched you grow up all these years with pride under the skillful direction of Mummy, who as you know is the most marvellous person in the world in my eyes. ‘I can, I know, always count on you, and now Philip to help us in our work. You leaving us has left a great blank in our lives.
‘But do remember that your old home is still yours and do come back to it as much and as often as possible.