The very first letter the young Princess Elizabeth wrote to her grandmother Queen Mary has been shared online. The handwritten note was posted by the British Monarchy's Twitter page on Tuesday – two days before the monarch celebrates her landmark 90th birthday."Darling Granny," the young royal wrote, in the uncertain hand of a five-year-old. "Thank you very much for the lovely doll's house. I do love it and I have unpacked the dining room and the hall. Love from Lilibet xxx."
Princess Elizabeth's first letter to her grandmother Queen Mary
The sweet letter, signed in the princess' childhood family name, is written in capital letters and on official paper bearing the address '145 Piccadilly, W.I.', the family home of her parents, The Duke and Duchess of York.
It is possible to see faint guide lines on the note, which also bears smudge marks where the young royal corrected her work.
The letter was first made public ten years ago, in celebration of the Queen's 80th birthday. In another previously-unseen note, penned in February 1934, she wrote in the more advanced hand of a seven-year-old: "Dear Granny, Thank you very much for the lovely little jersey. We loved staying at Sandringham with you. I lost a top front tooth yesterday morning."
Elizabeth pictured with her grandparents King George V and Queen Mary in 1932
She then described going to a fancy dress party, adding: "It was simply lovely. There was a clown and a jester and a snowman and lots of people I knew…"In November 1938, she wrote an affectionate letter to her widowed grandmother from Buckingham Palace. King George V had died, Edward VIII had abdicated, the Queen's father had been crowned and she was now heir to the throne. "Darling Grannie," she wrote. "Thank you very much for the lovely brooch. How clever that lady must be to make it out of a penny. It is very like Grandpapa. "What a horrible day for driving in a carriage and it must be very foggy in the Channel. M Corbin came yesterday to hand over the dolls on behalf of the French people and we showed him all their clothes.
The princess and her grandmother in 1945
Then, in March 1939, a month before her birthday, Princess Elizabeth wrote of her surprise to be soon turning 13 in a 'get well' letter to her grandmother. "I am very sorry to hear that you have a sore throat. I do hope it will not develope into influenza. That would be a great bore during this cold spell of weather," she wrote. "We are learning to jump which is great fun," she added of her horse riding skills. "I expect we will be seeing you at Windsor soon, it does come round so quickly and to think I am already going to be thirteen. I do hope you will get better very quickly and be able to go about again. Your very loving grand-daughter, Lilibet."
"Thank you very much again. Your loving granddaughter Lilibet." She had inserted the word 'him' with a small arrow after missing it out.