Some of Prince John's letters (preserved in the Royal Archives) to his father:
February 1916
Dear Papa,
I'm sending you a box of snowdrops for you which I have picked… these two daisies I have picked out of my garden.
May 1918
My dear papa,
I'm sending you in a box some lilies out of Wolferton Woods…The garden is very nice here… I am very busy here. Best love from your devoted son, Johnnie.
Charlotte Zeepvatt records that the letters "give us our first glimpse of the real boy and it is immediately obvious from them that John was capable of coherent thought and expression (many versions of his story would have it otherwise) and was interested in the world around him. His garden featured strongly in The Lost Prince and existed in fact, one of the great pleasures of his life. Incidentally also, the archive numbering of these documents, 103 and 313, suggest that he wrote a lot of letters. Two other quotations, from May and June 1913, mention a companion; 'Ernest often goes out with me…', 'Ernest and I go to the fields on Sundays'. According to Poliakoff, the letters also show that John was very interested in the wider family and often mentions his uncles, aunts and cousins. "
Also that, in 1998 when his story garnered some interest: "The first was a letter, tucked away in the pages of The Daily Mail, which painted an unusually full picture of the Wood Farm household. The writer's mother had been upset by the tone of the publicity because her father, Thomas Haverly, was John's coachman at Wood Farm and she had lived with her parents and brother in an adjoining cottage. She knew there was no neglect there: knew, in fact, that John was happy and well-cared-for and the letter to the Mail summed up her memories. Thomas Haverly was a coachman from Windsor Castle, chosen to drive for John because he was known to be reliable. He took the Prince on outings in the country or to the sea, and to the 'big house' at Sandringham when any members of the family were in residence. Wood Farm also had its own cook, Kate Bennett, whose niece Hilda Simpson was the live-in maid. Kate's sister Alice ran a boarding house at Westgate but used to help at Wood Farm out of season and other domestic help came in from Wolferton as required. John had his nurse, as we know, and a tutor. An area of the garden was set aside for him with a plaque, 'Prince John's garden' and there were gardeners who helped him tend it. Indoors he had his books, the pedal car in which he has been photographed and a ride-on train. It all sounds rather idyllic and a great deal more appealing than his brother's existence at the Naval College. "
New information also came out when The Lost Prince came out: "The Times Weekend on Saturday 11 January including a long and interesting article, partly based on Poliakoff's research and partly on evidence provided by Anne Sharp, whose mother Winifred Thomas was chosen by Queen Mary to be John's companion and friend. This really does allow us a new insight into the 'hidden' life of Prince John. It has always been said that he was lonely at Wood Farm. Poliakoff quotes a letter written by Queen Alexandra, 'I found him playing football with Charlotte and the other ladies of his household! He is very proud of his house but is longing for a companion … he came rushing up to see me.'11 Well, he may have been lonely on this particular day for some reason, or have missed other boys, but he did have a companion. Winifred Thomas was an eight-year-old from Yorkshire who suffered from asthma and was sent to live in the country with her uncle and aunt. Her uncle, George Stratton, was the riding master at Sandringham. Soon after Winifred's arrival the Strattons received a visit from Queen Mary and Mrs Bill, who were looking for a friend for John. Winifred's delicacy probably recommended her to them and after the visit she played with the Prince almost every day. When he was ill she sat by his bed while Mrs Bill read to them. They went on nature walks together and worked in the garden. No date is given for Winifred's arrival but it must have happened long before the move to Wood Farm: among her memories as related by her daughter was a bicycle chase with Prince Olaf of Norway, and he would not have been in England during First World War. It is said in the article that she played with John for about six years; they were probably about the same age.
Winifred continued to be close to John during the war. She remembered his excitement at watching zeppelins passing over Sandringham in 1916 and his pleasure in meeting 'a real, live soldier', her father Sergeant Frederick Thomas who visited that same year. She also remembered his mother as a loving and interested parent who spent a lot of time with her son - another departure from the accepted view. "
