Her Majesty replies
Yunnan girl wrote to Queen Elizabeth II
SHEN SHIXUN
Ma Siwen is a 18-year-old girl studying at No. 1 High School in Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. In her letter to Queen Elizabeth II, she lavishly recommended Zhaotong and invited Her Majesty to come as a guest. Queen Elizabeth II was impressed with the girls sincerity and enthusiasm. Her Majesty wrote back, wishing to hear more from Ma Siwen.
According to Ma Siwen, when she was studying last September, she learnt that Queen Elizabeth II is already the longest-serving monarch in British history, and that the Queen and the royal family love and often share happy moments with common people. Ma Siwen and her classmate Zou Wei decided to write a letter to Her Majesty.
On January 3, 2016, an English letter addressed to Ma Siwen arrived at the school mailroom, autographed by secretary of Queen Elizabeth II.
On January 5, the letter from Queen Elizabeth II was translated into Chinese and read aloud to Ma Siwens class by Chen Dan, a Chinese language teacher at the school.
Upon receiving the letter from Queen Elizabeth II, Ma Siwen was excited for many days, just as if she had won a lottery jackpot. Now Ma Siwen and her classmate are considering how to write a reply. The idea is to express thanks, enclose several scenic and food postcards and write something on the postcards introducing Zhaotongs attractions, specialties, history and culture, so that Her Majesty and British friends will learn more about Zhaotong. They plan to post the letter on Chinese New Years Day and put some newly released monkey stamps on the envelope. They will wish Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family good luck and happiness in a Chinese way.
Ma Siwens first letter (Abstract) Dear Queen Elizabeth II, I am Ma Siwen, a student of Class 464 of No. 1 High School in Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, China. I congratulate Your Majesty on becoming the longest-serving monarch in British history. I warmly welcome you to my hometownZhaotong City. Please do not mind if there are some grammatical mistakes in the letter.
Queen Elizabeth IIs reply (authored by secretary)
Dear Siwen. The Queen wishes me to write and thank you for your letter in which you tell her Majesty a little about yourself and where you live. Although unable to reply to you personally, the Queen was interested to hear of your hometown of Zhaotong City in Yunnan Province and I am to thank you once again, for your thoughtfulness in writing as you did.
