Gordon’s School student receives royal seal of approval for lockdown letter

Concerned that the Queen might be worried during lockdown, 13 year old Elysee Spacie decided to write to her!

The Gordon’s School student told Her Majesty about the vegetables she is growing, how she and her neighbours had played musical tributes to NHS staff and key workers on Thursday evenings, and that she is baking around 30 cakes a week for staff at St Peter’s Hospital, Woking.

To Elysee's delight, she received a letter back from Her Majesty’s Lady in Waiting.

Elysee, a residential boarder at the school in West End, Woking, of which HM the Queen is Patron, also told Her Majesty about her home-schooling and what she gets up to at school. As the national memorial to General Gordon, every student in the main school takes part in Parades with the Pipes and Drums. Elysee sent a picture of herself in her marching uniform to HM Queen.

“I thought the Queen might be interested in hearing from students as to how we were coping in lockdown” said Elysee, “so I told her about what we were doing such as growing vegetables and I sent pictures of me marching.”

Three weeks later a letter arrived from Windsor Castle. “I was really, really excited to get a letter back” enthused Elysee, who read that Her Majesty had been glad to know how much she enjoyed attending Gordon’s and that she appreciated the support received from teachers while home schooling. The Lady in Waiting also thanked Elysee on behalf of Her Majesty for her good wishes and for sending the photograph of herself in her marching uniform.

Since lockdown started, Elysee has been practising the bagpipes in her garden at home in West Horsley, in the hope that she will be chosen to play for Gordon’s famous Pipes and Drums. Neighbours who heard her playing soon picked up their instruments, so clapping on a Thursday night for the NHS also became a musical tribute!

And while she has kept busy throughout the lockdown period, Elysee said: “I am looking forward to getting back to normal, everyday life. I miss the community and my friends at school.”