Editor’s Note: Frank Baker, who writes Mountain Echoes for the ECHO News received a very special communication from London, England, in January – a letter and photo from the personal secretary and Lady in Waiting for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Baker shares his story below.

I have always been a big fan of Queen Elizabeth II. I was only eight years old living in Seward when she was crowned in 1953 at the young age of 25. After watching a recent series on Her Majesty on Netflix, I was reminded of her steely resolve, especially when dealing with strong political figures such as Winston Churchill and his immediate successor, Robert Anthony Eden.

Queen Elizabeth was noted for her strong working knowledge of Great Britain’s Constitution and according to several sources, it served to put her on solid footing with parliamentary statesmen senior to her in age and experience.

I always admired Her Majesty for her ruggedness – the fact she was not afraid to turn a wrench to fix a car; and for her well-known equestrian skills.

After researching on the Internet on how to address a letter to Her Majesty, I drafted my letter to her personal secretary, enclosing one of my published books of poetry. In my letter I congratulated Her Majesty on reaching her 90th birthday on April 21, 2016.

I noted in my letter, sent late last year, that I didn’t expect a reply. I was astonished this past January when I received the formal written communication from Buckingham Palace, complete with a current photo of Her Majesty.

It made my day, my month, my year! And perhaps somewhere in Buckingham Palace, my little book of poetry with photos of Alaska’s great outdoors is sitting on a desk or on a shelf!