- The Queen responded with a thank-you note to 7-year-old Timothy, who made a custom word puzzle for the royal and mailed it to her staff.
- Jo Madders, Timothy's mother, told the BBC about her son's idea for the word search, which included phrases centered around the theme of "happiness."
- "He wanted to do something to cheer her up, and he did it in his neatest handwriting," Madders told the BBC.
Queen Elizabeth II has been in isolation with Prince Philip at Windsor Castle since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK in mid-March.
A young fan of Queen Elizabeth II thought of a clever way to spread happiness to the royal figure: by making her a custom word puzzle.
Speaking to the BBC, Jo Madders, the mother of 7-year-old Timothy — the brains behind the Queen's handmade puzzle — said that her son didn't want the monarch to get lonely while in isolation at Windsor Castle.
"I was a bit worried that she might be feeling a bit sad," Timothy told the BBC, speaking of his inspiration to make and send a game for the Queen.
—BBC Essex (@BBCEssex) July 10, 2020
Timothy's word puzzle included phrases centered around a theme of "happiness," Madders, who's from Billericay, Essex, told the BBC.
"He wanted to do something to cheer her up, and he did it in his neatest handwriting," Madders said.
Madders added: "He kept saying to me not to send the original to anyone else because that was for the Queen."
In the royal fan's letter, which was shared with the BBC, Timothy wrote: "Dear Queen Elizabeth — You might be feeling sad or lonely during lockdown, so I thought I could make a word search for you to cheer you up."
Madders then shared a response that she received from one of the Queen's employees, which included a message of thanks from Her Majesty.
"The Queen wishes me to write and thank you for your kind letter, and for the puzzle you have created especially for Her Majesty. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated, and the Queen hopes that you too are keeping safe and well in the current situation," read the letter, addressed from Windsor Castle.
The Queen has been rarely seen while in lockdown at Windsor Castle with Prince Philip since mid-March
The Queen has been sparsely photographed since heading to Windsor Castle to isolate with Prince Philip around the start of the United Kingdom's lockdown orders in March. Prince Philip has not been photographed at all since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
While in isolation, Queen Elizabeth II has recorded two public broadcasts — including a historic address to the nation, where she thanked essential workers and people staying at home amid the coronavirus pandemic; and what was reportedly her first-ever Easter speech.
The Queen also celebrated her 94th birthday in lockdown. Typically, her Trooping the Colour birthday parade is a major televised event held at Buckingham Palace. This year, the monarch was the only
In June, the Queen was pictured riding a horse at Windsor Castle — which was the first new photo to be published of the monarch since mid-March.
"The Queen is pictured riding Fern - a 14-year-old Fell Pony - in Windsor Home Park this weekend," the royal family's official Instagram account wrote in the photo shared on May 31. "Her Majesty has enjoyed riding since childhood and is closely involved with the welfare of the horses she owns for breeding, riding, and racing."
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- Here's where members of the royal family are self-isolating, from London to Los Angeles