A Shropshire care home resident has become one of the last people in the UK to receive a 100th birthday card from the Queen.
Mollie Blake celebrated her landmark birthday at Greenfields Care Home in Whitchurch on Monday, 12 September.
She was humbled and saddened in equal measure to open her card from Queen Elizabeth II which had been delivered just days before her passing.
The tradition of sending birthday and wedding anniversary cards on behalf of the Queen has been arranged by the Anniversaries Office at Buckingham Palace for decades.
The process has now been temporarily paused.
Home activity manager Fiona Talbott said Mollie had enjoyed her centenary celebrations.
Care staff rallied in the morning to decorate her room with cards, balloons and a cake and she later enjoyed lunch with her cousins David, Wendy, Alison, Peter, Ann and Malcolm.
She was handed her centenary telegram by her cousins and the special card now sits on her bedside table.
Fiona said: “She was so chuffed with all her decorations and the fuss she got on her big day. She’s put her card beside her bed so she can look at it each day and treasure it.”
Mollie was born in Liverpool and her real name is Mary, although she has always preferred to be known as Mollie.
She has lived in cities across the UK but spent most of her career working as a headteacher in Malvern.
She loves classical music and art and enjoys chatting to her carers.
It’s understood that the tradition of sending messages of congratulations will continue and they will be sent on behalf of the new monarch, King Charles III, although it’s not clear when the practise will resume.
