Happy 100th birthday to Beatie from Biggleswade as she receives a card from the king she watched grow up

A Biggleswade centenarian was delighted to receive a birthday card from King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla.

Beatrice Bown, known as Beatie, turned 100 on September 25 and was thrilled when her special congratulations recently arrived in the post. Born in 1922, Beatie has seen five monarchs during her lifetime, and thinks that King Charles III will "do well as a king".

Beatie's daughter, Bet Willmor, told the Chronicle: "Mum said that she would say to King Charles: 'I've watched you grow up'. She believes he will make a good king and thinks that receiving the card is amazing. She is very proud of it. For her birthday, Mum had tea and cake with family and friends at Biggleswade Social Club in Church Street. The family came from as far as Billericay and Cardiff South Wales."

Beatie was born in London - in fact, she still enjoys singing 'maybe it's because I'm a Londoner!' - and left school at the age of 14 to work making artist's brushes. She survived the Blitz and at the age of 20 she was stationed at Little Rissington, Gloucestershire, before returning to make artist's brushes at the end of World War Two.

Talking about Beatie's wartime memories, Bet said: "She remembers coming home from work, and her Mum would be waiting for her with the dinner - she would have to rush with it to the air raid shelter in the back garden, with bombs coming down around them. She remembers the front of their house being blown out!"

After the war, Beatie got married in April 1947 to Arthur Bown, and the pair would go on to have two sons, one daughter, six grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. Although they later separated, Arthur and Beatie remained good friends until his death aged 97 in 2021.

Beatie moved to Everton in 1966 and has been a Bedfordshire resident ever since, working at Park Royal Porcelain, Sandy, in the late 1960s. She retired at the age of 60 but took on voluntary work for the Sue Ryder shop in Sandy until she was in her 80s.

Bet said: "She enjoyed the countryside. Mum was always a very hard worker, and spent most of her time doing something. In Sandy, she enjoyed being close to her family and friends. From around 63 she spent a lot of time with me, and a lot of time with my son and daughter, Kevin and Nikki. She loved being with us.

"In fact, after Mum and Dad split up, Dad and Mum used to come for a week at Christmas and we still spent the week as a family, playing games most of the time. Even now, Mum spends Christmas with us."

Aged 100, Beatie still loves a good dance, while she also enjoys playing games with Bet each week.

The special card from King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla reads: "My wife and I are so pleased to know that you celebrated your one hundredth birthday on 25th September 2022. This brings our warmest congratulations and heartfelt good wishes on such a special occasion."