Billie Templar desperately wants her dad to come home. He's a soldier and has been away for seven weeks, fighting for 'Queen and country' - but how can the two of them possibly defend their four-year record of winning the three-legged race at the school carnival if he's thousands of miles away?Then, when one of the other soldiers in Dad's regiment is seriously hurt, the stakes get even higher. Billie needs her dad home, sharpish. There's only one person who can help - Her Majesty. She's in charge of the army, right? She can send Dad home! Billie tries to get inside Buckingham Palace to sort it out, but it's not that easy. So, with the help of shy Sarah and allergy-prone Jake, the school brass band and a motley team of enthusiastic old-age pensioners, Billie hatches a fool-proof plan to get the Queen to her little village instead...Both laugh-out-loud funny and utterly heart-wrenching, and featuring an unforgettable cast of sweet, crazy characters, Billie's journey will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.

Dear Your Majesty,

My name is Billie Templar. I am eleven years old. I live in Merchant Stanton, which is all right, but it's not as nice as Buckingham Palace, I bet. Anyway, I know you're really busy, what with being Queen, and all the tiaras and jewels and dogs you have, but I have a favour to ask you.

Please can you send my dad home from the war? He's been out there for the last eleven weeks. His best friend got blown up today, and I don't want him to get hurt, so please can you excuse him from the fighting?

Billie