Watching the Easter Rising commemorations, sixth class student Reese Kilbride wrote to Queen Elizabeth II requesting that she turn over Northern Ireland to the Republic.
Reese, who is studying in St Helen’s senior national school in Portmarnock, Co Dublin, was told to be just “polite and friendly” by his mother Fiona Dowling, in his letter but not to expect a response.
Reese told the Queen that he had been watching the Easter Rising on television and was wondering why Ireland was partitioned. He asked the Queen to return the “six counties” and even sent a drawing of himself and his friend Ethan with the Queen as a goodwill gesture!
Ms Dowling said their family was not political and that Reese’s interest purely came about from watching the proceedings on television and learning about it in school.
To their delight, a personal message to Reese was sent in reply to the little boy’s letter.
“I thought it would hit the shredder immediately given the amount of correspondence she receives,” Ms Dowling said.
“I told him not to expect a response as she is a very busy lady so you can imagine my reaction when I saw a letter arrive addressed to my son from Buckingham Palace.”
Deputy correspondence co-ordinator Jennie Vine sent the reply and said the Queen wanted to thank Reese for the drawing.
“The Queen has asked me to thank you for your recent letter in which you wished to tell Her Majesty that you have been learning about the history of the Easter Rising 1916, ” the letter stated.
It was thoughtful of Reese for him to let Queen Elizabeth know his views, the letter continued, but “as a constitutional sovereign, the Queen acts on the advice of her ministers and remains strictly non-political at all times”.