Queen Elizabeth II 'sent condolences' to grandson of man who wrote her a christmas card for 60 years

Mr Simes' grandfather sent the Queen a card every year up until his death in 2011

According to Mr Simes, his grandfather met the Queen in 1972 (Jack Hill - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth II reportedly wrote a personal letter to the grandson of a man who had sent a Christmas card to her for 60 years, upon learning of his death.

According to Andrew Simes, his grandfather, who resided in Turkey, would send the monarch a Christmas card every year, therefore has sent one to Queen Elizabeth II since her Coronation in 1952.

Posting a photo of the many cards addressed to Buckingham Palace on Facebook, Mr Simes explained how after his grandfather’s death in 2012, aged 102, he continued to write the cards to the Queen in his honour.

Ever since Grandpa could remember, he made sure to send a Christmas card to his king/queen. So naturally, since 1952,...

Posted by Andrew Simes on Wednesday, 9 December 2015

A month after the first Christmas of taking on his grandfather’s role, Mr Simes claims he received correspondence from Buckingham Palace which read: “When I received a letter from a different Simes this Christmas, I instructed my office to research your grandfather’s whereabouts.

“Therefore it is with much sadness, I have learned of his passing and extend my condolences to you and your family.”

Mr Simes wrote that the exchange left him very emotional, his Facebook post has since been shared almost 18,000 times and ‘liked’ over 500 times.

In the post he also mentioned how his grandfather and the Queen met at a reception in Turkey in 1972, where she apparently told him: “So it is you who keeps sending me those lovely Christmas cards.”

In October, another letter from the Queen made headlines after she replied to an American citizen who contacted the Palace to ask if the Royal Family can make the US a British colony again, after the writer grew increasingly fed up with the presidential candidates particularly on the GOP side.

The palace replied saying, while his views had been noted, “there can be no question of the Queen intervening in the affairs of another Sovereign state”.

A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said they do not comment on private correspondence.