Hope's connection to the British Monarchy continues to grow, thanks to two poems written by resident Nancy Perry Young.
She was one of the many Canadians fascinated by King Charles III's latest trip to Canada 香蕉视频直播� his first as the King of England. For Young, the visit was a chance to share her special connection with the Royal Family.
"After Prince Philip died, I sent a poem to Queen Elizabeth. And I was really surprised when I got (a reply from her)," Young said. "And then when the Queen died, I sent a poem to King Charles. And I love the message he sent back. It's very heartfelt."
Since the King's arrival in Canada on May 26, the 95-year-old local has been sharing the letters she received for sending the Royal Family poems she wrote about Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth II after their passing. According to Young, this is the first time she's shown her "royal possessions" as it didn't occur to her that other people might be interested in it until the King's recent visit.
Since then, friends, family, and anyone who knows Young have been able to read the "royal replies" and "get a kick out of" the official envelopes, or Royal Mail, that they came in.
The first poem Prince Phillip was sent to the Queen after her husband passed away on April 9, 2021. The second poem Queen Elizabeth was sent to the King after his mother passed away on Sept. 8, 2022.
Both letters expressed their gratitude to Young and said that her poems were appreciated during their mourning.
"It was so very kind of you to send me such a wonderfully generous message following the death of my beloved mother," the King said in his letter to Young. "Your most thoughtful words are enormously comforting, and I cannot tell you how deeply they are appreciated at this time of immense sorrow."
Originally from England, Young moved to Canada in 1954, when she was 24, and stayed in Kamloops. She then spent time in Vancouver, and then Chilliwack, before moving to Hope, with her husband Fred Young, in 1985.
Before retiring and moving to Hope at the age of 55, Young worked as a bookkeeper for the Ford Mountain Correctional Centre. After leaving the centre, she worked for a bit as the manager for the Cariboo Trailer Park.
She is a resident of Riveride Manor now, and when not writing poetry she spends her time visiting Fred (who resides in the Fraser Hope Lodge) her friends, and her family.
Though her passion for poetry began at a young age, Young said she only started writing poems after she retired.
"I've always loved poetry," Young said. "I grew up reading a lot of poetry. And I remember poems I learned as a child in school. And I just decided, after I retired, I should start writing poetry. And it just flowed."
Young has written numerous poems since then, on the various places she's visited and lived in, the people she's met, and of the things that have influenced her the most. This includes Hope, the Hope Station House, and of course the Royal Family.
"I wrote the poems and I thought, 'why not send it?' So, that's what I did," Young said. "But I didn't know I would receive a letter. And I was quite surprised when they did. Because when you think about it, they probably got a lot of stuff, from all over the world.
"I don't think many people in Hope, or in B.C. has one of these. And I think it's wonderful that they wrote back."
Queen Elizabeth, who died at the age of 96, served 70 years on the throne. She had been married to Prince Philip, who passed away at the age of 99, for almost 74 years.
Her death sparked many reactions from around the world, especially from former colonies and communities still grappling with the effects of colonization.
This is not the first time that the monarchy has connected with Hope. In 1951, during a Royal Tour of Canada, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip passed through the District of Hope and visited the Hope Station House. At the time the station house was located on the corner of 5th Ave and Hudson Bay Street. During this visit, Elizabeth was still a princess yet-to-be crowned the Queen. Prince Philip, yet to be Royal Consort, was the Duke of Edinburgh.
