Leyland kids design knickers fit for a Queen!

In April 2022, Sophie’s Little Soldiers childminding, Mrs Beattie’s Childminding and Sophie’s Childminding in Leyland did an activity on the Queen – little did they know of the royal response they would receive!

Sophie Foster, 31, Kayleigh Beattie, 33 and Sophie Mashiter, 34, meet up every day with the children and take it in turns to suggest an activity.

Sophie Foster, whose turn it was, and who has been childminding for six years, said: “It was during the Jubilee and I came across the book The Queen’s Knickers by Nicholas Allan which describes Her Majesty’s undergarments including every Christmas ones decorated with holly and the Royal ones, decorated with precious stones.

“I watched a YouTube video of someone reading this book and came up with the idea to then make templates of the Queen’s Knickers that the kids could color in.

“I then researched how to start out writing a letter to the Queen as she is royalty.

“We went for a lovely walk to post our pictures to Buckingham Palace, then waited patiently.”

Sending the letter in April and thinking no more of it, writing it off as a “bad idea”, Sophie recalls receiving a letter through the door three months later.

“I received the letter last week. I knew instantly what it was as it was addressed to all three of us childminders.

“We are so lucky to have had our art work acknowledged by the Queen.

“She’s answered making over nine children happy and giving them the memorabilia to keep forever and to think, we weren’t going to post it!”

The letter from Her Majesty read: “I send you my grateful thanks for your kind message on the occasion of the Seventieth Anniversary of my Accession to the Throne.”

Sophie continued: “We are just three childminders from Leyland and three mums trying our best so to receive this recognition is amazing.

“We are proud to be part of the childminding community in Leyland and we are so lucky to have the support we give to each other in working together to create these amazing activities.”