Letter-writing is an art—one that’s sadly gone out of style—but we should always remember the power of putting words to the page. Before texting was born many of the most famous and influential figures in history preferred to pour their undying love out on paper. Luckily, a few of those letters still exist today. From country legend Johnny Cash to Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford to the Queen of England herself, here are a few famous love letters that prove pen and paper are the best way to express feelings of love. Read them for yourself and be inspired to write a beautiful love letter of your own!
Ronald Regan’s Letter to Nancy
In 1972, Ronald Reagan—then Governor of California—and his wife Nancy celebrated their 20th anniversary. Prior to that happy occasion, Reagan wrote a playful letter to the love of his life sharing the joy he felt in being her husband. Part of this famous love letter reads:
This note is to warn you of a diabolical plot entered into by some of our so called friends — (ha!) calendar makers and even our own children. These and others would have you believe we’ve been married 20 years. 20 minutes maybe — but never 20 years. In the first place it is a known fact that a human cannot sustain the high level of happiness I feel for more than a few minutes — and my happiness keeps increasing.
Love Letter Tip #1: Ronald Reagan’s letter focuses on how happy Nancy makes him. Think about the ways your partner makes you happy. Do they make you laugh? Do you love going on walks together? Do they make you feel special? List out the ways they make you happy in your love letter.
Beethoven’s ‘Immortal Beloved’ Letter
The great German composer Ludwig Van Beethoven penned one of the most famous love letters to an unknown woman in 1812. In it, Beethoven passionately declares his devotion to his “immortal beloved.” Part of it reads:
Even in bed my ideas yearn towards you, my Immortal Beloved, here and there joyfully, then again sadly, awaiting from Fate, whether it will listen to us. I can only live, either altogether with you or not at all.
Love Letter Tip #2: Beethoven’s letter shares how much he loves his unknown woman, even when he is away from her. It reminds us that distance is no obstacle when it comes to true love. If you and your partner have to be away from each other, use love letters to stay connected and share what you think about when you miss them.
Gerald Ford’s Famous Note to His Wife Betty
Less than two months after Gerald R. Ford became President of the United States, Lady Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her husband penned a letter of support, encouragement and love, three things he provided throughout her battle with the disease. As a section of the letter reads:
No written words can adequately express our deep, deep love. We know how great you are and we, the children and Dad, will try to be as strong as you.
Our Faith in you and God will sustain us. Our total love for you is everlasting.
Love Letter Tip #3: Gerald Ford’s letter is about loyalty and staying strong through uncertain times. Think about a time when you and your loved one stayed strong through a crisis. Include it in your love letter and thank them for their love through it all.
Poet John Keats’ Love Letter to Fanny Brawne
Celebrated poet and literary great John Keats met Fanny Brawne in 1818 when the two became neighbors in the small village of Hampstead. Despite Keats’ poor health and financial difficulties, the two fell in love and became engaged. Sadly, Keats would succumb to tuberculosis just a couple of years later, but their love inspired some of the writer’s greatest poetry. Part of a famous love letter to her from 1820 reads:
You must believe you shall, you will that I can do nothing say nothing think nothing of you but what has its spring in the Love which has so long been my pleasure and torment.
Love Letter Tip #4: John Keats’ letter is filled with emotions. Don’t hold back in your own love letter. Let the words come pouring out. This is the space to truly let your partner know how much they mean to you.
Johnny Cash’s Birthday Letter to Wife June Carter
The love story of Johnny and June is immortalized in plenty of classic country tunes, but Cash proved he had a knack for writing love letters as well as hit songs when he penned this sweet tribute to his wife on her 65th birthday. Part of the 1994 love letter reads:
But once in awhile, like today, I meditate on it and realize how lucky I am to share my life with the greatest woman I ever met. You still fascinate and inspire me. You influence me for the better. You’re the object of my desire, the #1 Earthly reason for my existence.
Love Letter Tip #5: Gratitude is an important part of any relationship. As we can see in Johnny Cash’s letter, he often gives thanks for having June Carter in his life. Include your own feelings of gratitude in your love letter. List out the reasons you are thankful to have your partner in your life.
Winston Churchill’s Famous Love Letter to His Wife Clementine
Winston Churchil1 and Clementine Ogilvy Hozier met once briefly before reuniting four years later at a dinner party in 1908. Just a few months later, the two were married and enjoyed a long and happy marriage despite the stress of Churchill’s position as Prime Minister of England during the second World War. The two often wrote letters to one another that included affectionate nicknames. He was her “pug,” she his “cat” and “p.k.” was a reference to their first child who they called “puppy kitten.” A section of a love note from Churchill in 1909 reads:
Sweet cat—I kiss your vision as it rises before my mind. Your dear heart throbs often in my own. God bless you darling keep you safe & sound.
Kiss the P.K. for me all over
With fondest love
W.
Love Letter Tip #6: Inside jokes and nicknames can be the cherry on top of any close relationship. Keep those sweet moments in your love letters. If you have a special name for your partner, use it in the letter to show them how much they mean to you. Include any inside jokes you two share so the laughs can keep on coming. Maybe even include some art, like Churchill did.
Robert Browning To Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Elizabeth Barrett Browning is one of the most widely celebrated English poets of the Victorian Era. She had already achieved fame and critical success when she met writer Robert Browning, who wrote her after reading her first collection of poems. The two were married a year later and continued to write together—some of their most famous works were a result of their love and courtship—while living in Italy with their son, Pen. A famous love letter from Robert to Elizabeth from 1846 reads:
“Look down on you”,-my Ba? I would die for you, with triumphant happiness, God knows,-at a signal from your hand! But that,-look down,-never, tho’ you bade me again & again, and in such words! I look up,-always up,-My Ba, when I indulge in my deepest luxury, I make you stand .. do you not know that? I sit, and my Ba chooses to let me sit, and stands by,-understanding all the same how the relation really is between us,-how I would, and do, kiss her feet,-my Queen’s feet!
Love Letter Tip #7: Robert Browning’s love letter is all about devotion. Think about what devotion means to you. What does it mean to your partner? How can the two of you be more devoted to each other? List out the ways in your love letter.
Prince Albert’s Love Letter to Queen Victoria
The match between Queen Victoria and her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was initially arranged by her uncle, King Leopold but the two grew to share an enduring love during their 21 year marriage. Victoria proposed to Albert on his second visit to Windsor in 1839 and the couple was married just a few months later. Though the pressure of the crown were rumored to have hurt their relationship, both husband and wife often wrote of their affection for one another throughout their years together. A 1839 love letter from Albert to Victoria reads:
I need not tell you that since we left, all my thoughts have been with you at Windsor, and that your image fills my whole soul. Even in my dreams I never imagined that I should find so much love on earth.
Love Letter Tip #8: Prince Albert’s letter proves how important love letters are, no matter what is going on in your lives. Even when things were hard, Albert and Victoria made sure to always express what they meant to each other. Think about times when you can write a love letter to your partner besides birthdays, anniversaries, or Valentine’s Day. Could a love letter on an ordinary Tuesday prove to be even more special?
Marci Seither’s Love Letter to Her Husband John
Guideposts contributor Marci Seither may not be a famous poet or a Country icon, but she has followed in the footsteps of some, at least when it comes to letter writing. Her letters to husband John helped the couple reconnect after he served overseas and led to a love story worthy of being on this list. As part of the letter reads:
Thank you so much for playing guitar for me. It was really nice. Looking forward to hearing from you or seeing you.
Love Letter Tip #9: Include details in your love letter about how you spend time with each other and how much that time means to you. Also tell your partner how much seeing them brings you joy. Even the simplest love letters can make a huge impact.
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