North Dakota Woman Exchanged Letters with Queen Elizabeth Every Year on Their Shared Birthday

Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II shared her birthday with an American pen pal.

Before Her Majesty died at age 96 last week, she exchanged letters every year with a North Dakota woman who was born on the same day, according to KFYR. Adele Hankey, of Park River, North Dakota, said she'll miss corresponding with her friend: "Oh absolutely. You miss your pen pals."

Hankey sent her first letter to the Queen when she was crowned in 1953. "I could have jumped out of my shoes," she said of receiving a birthday card in return.

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For the past 70 years, Hankey would reach out on their shared birthday, noting that she made sure to perfect her penmanship, and the Queen always got back to her. "We had a teacher in school that said make your l's long and your e's little. So, we did," she explained.

"I asked her for a hat. I was hoping she would send me one. But she sent a lovely picture on her birthday," Hankey added, admitting she doesn't know how many letters they exchanged every year for their birthday tradition, though the two never actually met.

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Hankey, who is a cookbook author, noted that: "The recipes the queen liked were with marmalade. And so do I. How about that?"

Queen Elizabeth died at age 96 last Thursday. Her death follows her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, who died at age 99 in April 2021. She is succeeded immediately by her eldest son, King Charles III, 73, who is now the monarch.

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The Queen's coffin traveled to Westminster Hall in a solemn procession on Wednesday, and it is now lying-in-state for mourners to pay their respects. More than 2,000 people from around the world will gather Monday at Westminster Abbey for the Queen's funeral, before she's laid to rest at Windsor Castle.