A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl from Petersfield who wrote to the Queen asking if she could have a pet swan was thrilled when she received a reply from Her Majesty.
Wildlife lover Lyndsay Simpson wrote the letter after asking her family if she could have a pet swan.
She was told that the Queen owns all British swans – a common misconception dating back centuries.
So she decided to write a letter to the Queen and was surprised to receive a reply.
Nick Robbins (31), is a family friend who is living at the house in Chapel Street and was with Lyndsay at the time. He said: “One day she just asked if we could get a pet swan.
“I asked her where we would keep it, and she said ‘in the bath’. I said that the Queen owns all the swans in England so she decided to write to the Queen.”
Grandmother Carol Bax (60), added: “She put her name on the bottom and wrote age five. We put it in an envelope addressed to the Queen and then we thought nothing more of it.”
But a few weeks later, a letter arrived in the post addressed to Lyndsay. “It was really sweet – all you heard from the lounge was ‘I’ve got a letter from the Queen’,” Carol added.
“It’s absolutely amazing that they took the time and trouble to write to a little girl of five. She was ecstatic. It was just charming. What it’s meant to that little girl – it will stay with her forever.”
The letter said: “The Queen has asked me to thank you for your letter...from which Her Majesty has taken careful note of your comments regarding the keeping of swans as pets.
“I should perhaps explain that it is a common misconception that The Queen owns all the swans in the United Kingdom.
“In fact, Her Majesty only owns mute swans and only exercises her right of ownership over swans on certain parts of the River Thames.”
It went on to say how The Queen was encouraged to hear of her interest in native wildlife and enclosed a booklet on royal swan upping, to help Lyndsay to learn more.
Nick added: “The letter is so personal. It was a rather unusual request but they have taken the time to write it. It’s the fact that they thought about it and wrote the most beautiful reply. It wasn’t generic.”