AN eight-year-old Malvern girl was delighted to get a letter from Buckingham Palace this week.

Olivia Dean, who lives in Barnards Green, wrote to the Queen before Christmas, asking questions about her horses and dogs.

And this week, the whole family was delighted when a fine envelope bearing the royal crest dropped through the door.

Inside, on Buckingham Palace headed notepaper, was a letter from a royal lady-in-waiting.

Mum Moira Dean said: "It was a really nice letter, and has all sorts of information about the Queen's horses and dogs, what their names were and so on, and including photographs of the Queen with some of her pets.

"Olivia was really thrilled when the envelope with her name on and with ER on it came through the door. It's something she can keep for the rest of her life."