A handwritten note from Queen Elizabeth II to the “people of Sydney” is concealed under one of the city’s most recognizable structures, but it won’t be discovered for another 63 years.
The Queen Victoria Building in Sydney’s Central Business District contains a time capsule containing a letter from Her Majesty with explicit instructions that it not be opened until 2085.
In November 1986, following extensive restoration work on the castle, the Queen penned the letter.
Even her personal staff does not know what she has written, and many Sydney residents will never find out.
Only Her Majesty’s instructions are visible in a letter framed and displayed in a glass case in the restricted dome region atop the QVB.
It is addressed to the “Right and Honorable Lord Mayor of Sydney, Australia.”
‘Greetings. In the year 2085, on a day of your choosing, we will meet. Please open this envelope and deliver my message to the residents of SYDNEY,’ reads the letter, which is signed by the Queen.
Prior to her death, the Queen penned a special message to the residents of Sydney, which is currently under protection (pictured: the Queen writes in a book)
Only the envelope of the secret letter held within the Queen Victoria Building in 2086 A.D. directing the Lord Mayor of Sydney is visible (illustration). to open the letter and read it to the inhabitants of Sydney
The sandstone Queen Victoria Building (QVB) was constructed in 1898 and named in honor of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.
The structure was nearly demolished in 1959 to make way for civic space and parking, and numerous council reviews for renovations have been done over the building’s lifespan.
The building was refurbished in 1984 by a Malaysian business that still holds a 99-year lease, drawing inspiration from photos of the QVB at the time of its construction.
The letter is displayed in a case atop the renowned dome of Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building, above the storefronts (pictured)
Friday morning, Australians awoke to the devastating news that the Queen had passed away.
The death of the Queen was revealed about 3.30 a.m., and Australian morning television programmes reported the news an hour later, followed by a statement by the prime minister at 4.47 a.m.
On Friday afternoon, a touching 96-gun salute was given in front of Parliament House to honor her passing.
One round was fired for each of Her Majesty’s years of life.
The letter from the Queen stays unopened in the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney (pictured)