A four-year-old who shares her name with The Queen was thrilled to receive a letter from the Monarch in front of her whole school on her 90th birthday.

Elizabeth Ashley-Down, of Heronden View, Eastry, sent a handmade birthday card to Her Majesty on April 4, inviting her to the Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday party at her school.

The Goodnestone Church of England Primary School pupil had drawn a picture of herself giving the Queen a present on the front.

Inside she wrote: ‘To the Queen, Happy Birthday, love from Elizabeth.’

Her mother, Johanna Ashley-Down, 39, had slipped in a letter explaining a little more about why her daughter had so desperately wanted to send the greeting.

She said: “Because Elizabeth has the same name as the Queen she feels that the Queen is particularly special to her.

“Because Elizabeth has the same name as the Queen she feels that the Queen is particularly special to her." - Elizabeth's mum, Johanna Ashley-Down

“She just turned around to me and asked if she could send her a card. Because she’s only four, I typed a letter for her to go inside it.”

On the morning of the Queen’s birthday a letter postmarked Buckingham Palace arrived in the family’s post.

It contained a thank-you card from the Queen and a personalised letter from Jennifer Gordon Lennox, one of the Queen’s Ladies-in-Waiting, thanking Elizabeth for her card.

She explained it was not possible to attend the party but she wished them a happy day.

Mrs Ashley-Down said: “We had hoped they would respond – but it was very exciting that it actually came through on the Queen’s birthday.

“Elizabeth was at school – for the Queen’s birthday party event – when it came through, and the headmaster gave the letter to her in front of the entire school.

“The whole school was really excited to have a letter from Buckingham Palace, especially on the Queen’s birthday.”