Prince Archie Got Birthday Surprise from Local Bike Shop
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The coronation of King Charles III coinciding with the fourth birthday of Prince Archie inspired one local bike shop to send the prince a birthday present
The owners of Mad Dogs & Englishmen Bike Shop in Montecito, CA hand-delivered a tricycle to the home of Harry and Meghan
A month later, they received a thank you note from the royal couple
Last month, the coronation of King Charles III coincided with the fourth birthday of his grandson, Prince Archie. Emotions (and tensions) were running high from this confluence of sovereign affairs, and in the case of one Montecito, California bike shop, it inspired a burst of birthday cheer for the young prince.
PEOPLE recently published the story of Mad Dogs & Englishmen Bike Shop, who became so inspired by the pomp and circumstance surrounding Prince Archie and his extended family that they decided to put together a birthday gift for the young prince.
"Shop owner Jennifer Blevins tells PEOPLE that her British partner and shop co-owner, Martin, spontaneously wanted to give Archie, the son of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, a special birthday gift. 'He went and he got one of our little specialized kids' bikes — they're really nice little bikes — and he's like, ‘This one's perfect, it's got training wheels,'" Blevins says. "And so he went and got some birthday balloons, and he got some flowers for Meghan and a birthday card, and he said, ‘Okay, I 'm gonna bike over and take it to their house.'"
As one might expect, upon arrival, Martin was set upon by the royal couple's robust security team, inquiring if the shop owner had an invitation.
"I 'm just a British business in town that wanted to give Archie a gift," the man reportedly responded. After a swift background check, Martin was permitted to leave the gift, and that was that.
Well, until about a month later, when the bicycle shop received a surprise of its own.
"A courier came by our little shop on Coast Village Road, and he dropped off that letter," Blevins told PEOPLE regarding the delivery, which can be seen in an Instagram post from the shop. "I was making a joke, I said, ‘It better be a thank you letter,’ and it really was!"
The letter, written by Harrison Colcord of the Office of Prince Harry and Meghan, reads as follows:
"On behalf of Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, please accept their sincere thanks for the thoughtful gift you sent to Prince Archie for his fourth birthday. The bike has brought much joy, and is most appreciated by the family. They asked that I convey their gratitude at the lovely surprise."
The California bike shop was touched by the letter, considering how uncommon it is that such high-profile figures take the time to write. "Every celebrity in that town has bought bikes from us, and they all come through there," she said to PEOPLE. "None of them sent a thank you letter."
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