An elderly couple in Surrey were among the final people to receive official correspondence from the Queen prior to her death on Thursday 8 September.
Tricia Pont, 81, and her husband Ray, 84, celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary last week and, in honour of spending 60 years together, received a congratulatory card from the late monarch.
Traditionally, all couples in the UK who reach a diamond wedding anniversary receive a card of congratulations from the monarch.
The card, which was signed by the Queen, read: “I am so pleased to know you are celebrating your Diamond Wedding Anniversary on 8 September 2022.
“I send my congratulations and best wishes to you on such a special occasion.”
Commenting on the card, Ray said: “It was our wedding anniversary having spent 60 years together and someone in the family decided they would like us to get a card from the Queen.
“It arrived on the day before our anniversary and we kept it to open on the morning of our anniversary.
“We were delighted to have received it and it had a nice picture on the front.
“I was so excited to open the card. I thought it would be such a lovely moment for our family.”
Ray went on to say how he and Tricia had gone out for lunch together when they heard the news that the Queen was unwell.
“We then went out to have lunch together and when we were there my phone pinged, we were told we should look online as something was wrong with the Queen,” he said.
“Obviously that brought darkness on our lunch.
“We came home and turned the TV on and it was obvious that she was very unwell, and it ended with her dying.
“It makes the card even more precious and poignant as we were one of the last people to get correspondence from her.”
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