Kind-hearted King’s Ely student receives card from Her Majesty The Queen

A King's Ely pupil is jubilant after receiving a thank you card from Her Majesty The Queen.

Willow Barry, who is in Year 3 at King’s Ely Junior, wrote to the Royal Family on April 11th to express her sadness of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh’s passing two days prior.

In her letter, Willow wrote: “I am so sorry for your loss. It must be very hard for you all at this time. My name is Willow and I am 8. Since the last lockdown I have been delivering jokes on a weekly basis to residents at Terrington Lodge (a care home in Norfolk) to try to keep them happy. I enclose some jokes for you all. I know you might not feel like reading them just yet, but I hope you will be able to smile again soon. Lots of love, Willow.”

Willow hit the headlines earlier this year when she started writing and delivering cheese-themed jokes to residents at Terrington Lodge. Last month, she delivered twenty Easter goodie bags to the care home, which is near where she lives. The bags contained diabetic sweets and chocolates, nail files, a smiley face mask, love heart hand wash, a mini rainbow rubber, bamboo paper tissues, a handmade soap bar, a stretchy yellow stress reliever, and obviously an Easter joke!

In her thank you card to Willow, Her Majesty wrote: “I send you my sincere thanks for your kind words of sympathy on the death of my husband.”

Willow says she is “so excited” to have received the card from Buckingham Palace and that she still can’t believe she has received it!

Richard Whymark, Head of King’s Ely Junior, said: “Willow’s initiative in supplying humour and laughter throughout the recent months has been very much appreciated, and her letter to Her Majesty is another example to us all of how small acts of kindness can brighten even the darkest of days.”