Our lives are unpredictable, which is both a good and a negative thing. While some unplanned events can be upsetting, we are happy when life surprises us in a good way. Even on our toughest days, these occurrences can make us grin.

When the post office employees informed the young girl in today’s tale that they had a special letter for her, she was overjoyed. The small girl’s message and images were seen by the Queen, who responded in the form of a royal letter in the envelope.

Olivia Akers had no clue that Queen Elizabeth II would take notice of her when she donned a military uniform that was modeled by the Trooping the Colors ceremonial. It all began when Natalie Akers, her mother, learned of a costume competition taking place in the UK.

Natalie immediately contacted the contest administrators after reading about it online. In the hopes that Olivia would be able to compete, she requested whether they would accept an Australian candidate. She waited for a favorable reaction and then started getting Olivia’s clothing ready.

Natalie coordinated every detail, from the white gloves to the crimson military outfit, to make her daughter look like the queen. She meticulously replicated her dress in the hopes that her young daughter would take first place.

To get her photo shot, Olivia mounted her pony, Lady. When Natalie was satisfied with the images, she forwarded them to the contest’s organizers. Sadly, Olivia did not succeed.

But Natalie didn’t let all that effort go to waste. Olivia sent a letter to the queen in June 2022, and Natalia posted it together with the girl’s pictures in the hopes that Her Majesty would get the package. Olivia penned:

My dear Queen Elizabeth, Olivia Akers is my name. I’m eight years old and reside in Australia’s Tallygaroopna.

The young lady inquired of the queen in her letter whether or not she actually consumed marmalade sandwiches. Olivia also inquired about the queen’s horse ownership. She informed the queen that while her pony was Australian, the saddle in the photograph was from England. Olivia penned:

I’ve added some images from a horse costume competition that was held online in honor of your golden jubilee.

Olivia did wait for a reply after she had sent her letter. The young child questioned her mother if the mailman had carried the queen’s letter for her as the days grew into weeks and then into months.

However, Olivia and Natalie gave up on getting a letter from the Queen when they discovered she had passed away when they woke up on September 9, 2022. They had no idea that the Tallygaroopna Post Office had “a very important letter” waiting for them.

Natalie went to the post office that morning after Olivia departed for school to see if she had any mail. She was shocked when the staff informed her of the Queen’s letter. She rushed with the package to Olivia’s school right away since she was so happy. Natalie admitted:

We were all a little moved to see such a wonderful letter arrive, and we later learned that it was likely one of her last letters.

In front of her classmates, Olivia excitedly opened the letter and read it out loud. The letter was endorsed by the matron of honor, Annabelle Whitehead. She thanked Olivia for the message and said that the queen was “interested” in seeing Olivia’s pictures.

Whitehead thanked Olivia once more for her kind message, adding, “Her Majesty was touched to discover that you, too, love horseback riding.” The letter, which was dated August 25 and delivered on the day the Queen passed away, reached the Tallygaroopna Post Office. Nicola said:

The timing is quite amazing.

Natalie remarked, “I’m sure Olivia will treasure this letter for the rest of her life.”

Olivia is regarded among royal family admirers as one of the fortunate individuals to have heard back from the queen during her final days.