When pupils from a High Wycombe pre-school wrote to the Queen for her 90th birthday sending her their good wishes, the last thing they were expecting was a letter back.

However less than a month after Her Majesty’s birthday, school children from West Wycombe Pre-School were delighted to receive a reply on behalf of the monarch signed by Mary Morrison, her lady-in-waiting for more than 50 years.

It said: “The Queen wishes me to thank you for the letter which you have sent on the occasion of Her Majesty’s ninetieth birthday.

“The Queen was pleased to hear from you and Her Majesty greatly appreciates your kind words.

“I am to send The Queen’s best wishes to you all and thank you, once again, for your thoughtfulness in writing as you did.”

A personal reply from Her Majesty, which included a photograph, said: “I send you my grateful thanks for the kind words you have sent to me on the occasion of my ninetieth birthday.”

In their letter, the children talked about what she might do to celebrate including “pop some balloons” and “bounce on the bouncy castle”, and told her the town was lighting a beacon in honour of her birthday which they hoped she liked the idea of.

A pupil Chloe, even drew a stick figure of the monarch on the letter.

Deputy manager of the pre-school, which has been rated 'good' by Ofsted, Sarah Gowers, said: “We shared the wonderful letter with the children at our daily registration time.

“Although they knew we had written to her, their excitement was huge. We were so delighted to receive a response – the children were thrilled.”