An 11-year-old Richmond School student has received a letter from King Charles.
Will Cooke, a year 7 student from Richmond, wrote a condolence letter to the King after watching Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, which was only a couple of months after his own grandmother had passed away.
Will said: “I was really upset when the Queen died as I had so much respect for her and everything she did.
“I wanted to let King Charles know that so many people across Great Britain and the world were thinking of him.
“I never expected to receive a reply so it was a bit of a shock as I’m sure the King will have received hundreds of thousands of cards and letters.
“I was excited when I saw the royal crest on the envelope, and it is something that I will keep forever.”
Will’s grandmother worked for the charity Landmark Trust which oversees restoring and then renting out buildings of historic interest so that they are protected and can be enjoyed by the public.
King Charles was a patron of this charity and for her good work, Will’s grandmother was invited to meet the Queen in 2012.
She told Will how lovely she was at the meeting.
Will and his grandmother had a close relationship and she often spoke of how she loved the Royal family and had met both the Queen and King Charles in her lifetime.
Jenna Potter, Will’s headteacher, said: “What a truly wonderful gesture from Will to send such comforting words to King Charles.
“After losing his Nanna, Will was acutely aware of how a death can impact a family and the distress it brings.
“We are proud of Will for demonstrating such respect, kindness and compassion in this way. The King’s letter is a fabulous keepsake for Will which I’m sure he will cherish.”
Will’s letter from King Charles reads: “It was so very kind of you to send me 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.”
To find out more about the work at Landmark Trust visit https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/
