The lives of so many individuals in her family, her neighborhood, and around the world were impacted by Queen Elizabeth II. However, despite never having met in person, Adele Hankey of North Dakota felt a special connection to the queen.
The queen and Adele shared the same birthday, April 21, 1926. When the queen was crowned in 1953, the royal enthusiast informed her in a letter that they had a common birthday. She never anticipated getting a response, but that one letter started seven decades of correspondence.
In reply, Adele sent the queen a birthday card, and an odd but incredibly profound friendship was born.
On their birthdays each year, the two would write each other handwritten messages. Adele shared the stack of letters with nearby news organizations since she was so touched by them. She claims that throughout the monarch’s whole reign, she had a special connection to her.
In the days after the Queen’s deat, Adele thought back on the many fond memories. “I call it my pen pal, and I’m going to miss that,” she told WDAY.
Watch the video below to learn more about Adele’s unique relationship with the world’s longest reigning monarch.