It's certainly not every day that you get a card from the Queen.

But having received a royally-sealed envelope in the post during Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee year, Adrienne Short considered the honour to be extra special.

Ms Short, who lives in Scarning, near Dereham, sent her own card to the enduring monarch back in March, addressing it to her Norfolk residence in Sandringham.

In it, she thanked the Queen for 70 years of dedicated service to her country, while also expressing sympathy following the death of husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

For a while, Ms Short forgot all about the correspondence until, on Friday, May 13, an important-looking delivery turned up in the mail.

After fetching her finest letter opener, she was stunned to discover a card from the Queen herself - adorned with delightful photos of the long-reigning royal.

"It is utterly beautiful," said an ecstatic Ms Short.

"Receiving this made me feel as if she [the Queen] cares, and I think she genuinely does care about everybody. It really lifted my spirits."

She added: "When I sent my letter, I was thinking that she must have been going through such a bad time, with the passing of her husband. I just felt so sorry for her.

"I thought, if nothing else, it will hopefully give her a bit of a lift if she sees it."

Written in the card was the following message: "I send you my grateful thanks for your kind message on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of my accession to the throne."

Ms Short is already in the process of having the card framed, and plans to hang it pride of place above her mantlepiece.

Heaping praise on the Queen, she added: "I think she has had such grace and dignity throughout her life and, at the moment, I cannot help but admire her.

"I have always been a big fan of the Queen and I think she is such a wonderful woman. She stays out of the limelight and she doesn't half work hard.

"This summer is shaping up to be a beautiful one. There is so much unhappiness around and this is shining a light on things."

As Her Majesty celebrates her record-breaking reign we have delved into our archives to create a tribute to her life and 70 years of service. Filled with photos and history, Our Queen's Platinum Reign is a magazine we hope readers will treasure for years to come. This special souvenir is available for £9.99 online and in-store.

Order online by clicking this link www.gblshop.co.uk/jubilee.

Find shops stocking the magazine near you by heading over to seymour.co.uk/storefinder/. Select 'Our Queens Platinum Reign' from the drop-down menu along with your postcode and radius.