Britain's Queen Elizabeth received a birthday card from North Korean leaders.
The 88-year-old monarch received a congratulatory note for her official birthday on June 14 from the second most powerful man in the dictatorship, Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Presidium of the Supreme Assembly of North Korea.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported that the message "wished the queen good health and happiness", as well as "well-being and prosperity" to British citizens.
Additionally, the British embassy in Pyongyang reportedly held a reception to mark the occasion, with guests including the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade.
Experts believe the note was sent as North Korea is looking for "new friends" because China is growing increasingly close to forging an alliance with South Korea.
Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor at Tokyo's Waseda University and an authority on North Korean affairs, said: "North Korea is looking for new friends, while they have also sent officials to London to make money on the stock market and seek development aid.
"But there is also real concern in the leadership there that the regime could collapse without China's support, so they are looking for a country that might provide them with political asylum. It is possible that they think Britain might provide that."

Britain's Queen Elizabeth met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang yesterday (17.06.14).
Mr. Li - who has also been holding talks with Prime Minister David Cameron - was received by the monarch at Windsor Castle on the first full day of his official visit to the UK.
The Premier was accompanied by his wife Cheng Hong, while the queen was joined in the White Drawing Room by her son Prince Andrew.
Mr. Li is making the first visit to the UK by a Chinese premier since a row in 2012 over Prime Minister David Cameron's meeting with exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
He also met with the Prime Minister in a summit also attended by Foreign Secretary William Hague, Chancellor George Osborne and Energy Secretary Ed Davey.
The Chinese leader is hopeful his three-day visit will further business and cultural ties with the UK and also help to "change misperceptions and misgivings" about his country.
During the trip, he is expected to formally agree commercial deals and investments worth up to £18 billion in various sectors such as energy and finance.

Kanye West claims people don't "understand" his "interracial relationship" with Kim Kardashian.
The 37-year-old rapper - who married the reality TV star in Florence, Italy, last month - insists he can cope with the "lashes" he receives in his personal life as he believes much of the criticism stems from ignorance.
Speaking at the Cannes Lions festival, he said: "I don't write self-help books or anything like that....
"You have to be able to take the lashes when people don't understand.
"Two years of people not understanding an interracial relationship, two years of people not understanding the idea of the art world meets the pop world, you have to take the lash and be able to swim in the backlash."
The 'Bound 2' star - who has 12-month-old daughter North with Kim - went on to compare himself with elite boxers Floyd Mayweather and Muhammad Ali in the way he continues to be "bashed" but still strives to be the top of his game.
He said: "A lot of times I think I get a bad rap for saying "I can do this, I can do this.
"It's like we are the creative with teeth, we have the gut feeling that we know that the idea is more important than our personal well-being.
"So a lot of times I will say things that are not for my personal well-being which I think for people to create for their personal well-being is a selfish thing to do and you're creating to make your life better rather than everyone else's life better.
"I get bashed so much but create so much, just know that if you want to be a boxer you're going to get your face beaten constantly but then you may end up being a Mayweather or an Ali at the end of the day."

Rupert Grint is to make his Broadway debut.
The 'Harry Potter' actor - who made his professional stage debut playing a drug dealer in 'Mojo' in London's West End last year - has joined the cast of 'It's Only a Play', which officially opens in New York's theatre district on October 9.
The 25-year-old actor will join previously-announced cast members Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, F. Murray Abraham, Stockard Channing, Megan Mullally and Micah Stock in the production, which will be staged at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.
The play is set at a Broadway producer's Manhattan townhouse during the opening-night party for a nervous playwright's newest work.
Rupert will play acclaimed theatre director Frank Finger, while Matthew stars as the writer and Nathan is his bitter best friend, a resentful television actor who secretly wants his pal to fail.
Tom Kirdahy, Roy Furman and Ken Davenport are lead producers on the revival, which will be directed by Jack O'Brien.
Rupert previously revealed starring in 'Mojo' had made him eager to work more in theatre.
He said: "It's opened my eyes; I've learned so much."

Tim McGraw knew he needed to get sober when his children noticed his drink and drug abuse.
The 47-year-old country singer - who has daughters Gracie, 17, Maggie, 15, and Audrey, 12, with wife Faith Hill - curbed his wild ways in 2008 after fearing he was going to "lose everything" following a stark warning from his spouse.
He told the new issue of Men's Health magazine: "When your wife tells you it's gone too far, that's a big wake-up call. That, and realising you're gonna lose everything you have. Not monetarily, not career-wise, but family-wise.
"It got to the point where my kids were getting older, and it was way past the point that they noticed it. And I noticed that they noticed. That's enough to straighten you out... I drank too much. I partied too much. And did other things too much. Chemically. No needles or that kind of stuff, but... use your imagination."
Tim went on to admit he was close to being "overtaken" by his "demons", comparing himself with late country singer Keith Whitley, who died of alcohol poisoning in 1989.
He added: "Keith Whitley taught me how demons can overtake you if you let 'em. And I was headed down that path. You feel like you're supposed to be 'on' all the time. Then you drink and get onstage, and all of a sudden you feel confident and powerful."
These days, the 'Southern Girl' singer can even laugh about the physical transformation his bad habits brought him.
He said: "I was looking at some old concert shots the other day. Man, my gut!.
"I was up there in a see-through shirt - I thought I was lookin' good!"

Ed Sheeran likes "stalking" people on Instagram.
The 23-year-old singer - who has 9.63 million Twitter followers and 1.6 million followers on Instagram - enjoys using social media but only follows his manager on the picture-sharing website as he hates having his news feeds cluttered, though he can't resist peeking into other people's lives via the site.
He told E! News: "I like going to Instagram and, like, stalking, but I don't like going to Instagram and having everything there.
"Twitter's the worst because I followed so many people back in the day just to be polite all they do is retweet compliments...It's just all retweets!"
Ed admitted he only followed his manager to increase his own number of followers.
He added in an interview with E! News: "I only follow him because you have to follow someone to get followers.
"I didn't follow anyone and I was stuck on, like, 1.3 million...then I started following Stuart and it started going up again."
The 'Sing' hitmaker - who counts Taylor Swift, Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston among his famous friends - loves going out in Hollywood because he gets to "make stories" he will be able to tell for years to come.
He said: "In Hollywood I just kind of like to be open and go out and enjoy myself, and make stories.
"You know, make stories that I can tell in 20 years and be like, 'That happened one time, that was pretty fun.' "
But the British star insists not all of his friends are in the public eye.
He added: "I do have school friends as well...I sound like such an industry whore when you say it like that!"

Kelly Rowland loves sticky toffee pudding.
The 33-year-old singer - who is expecting her first child with husband Tim Witherspoon - has confessed she has a soft spot for British desserts and admits that while living in London for her stint as a judge on the UK version of 'The X Factor', she couldn't get enough of them.
She said: "I miss London's puddings. Oh my gosh, your sticky toffee pudding. When I was there [for The X Factor] I'd just hang out in the lobby of my hotel eating the stuff.
"It made me so happy. It's been way too long since I've been to the UK; I really miss all my friends there."
The Destiny's Child star revealed she's hoping to visit London for the upcoming Wimbledon Tennis tournament, in which her pal Serena Williams will be competing.
She told Stylist magazine: "I'm trying to get over there [London] for Wimbledon as my best friend Serena is plays so I need to get my butt there for that."
The 'Commander' hitmaker is a keen beach-goer and loves soaking up the sun in Miami.
Quizzed on where her spiritual home is, she said: "I have a place in LA but I love to get back home - home, home - to the beach in Miami. I'm a beach bum.
"I could be a beach bum all day long, for days at a time. When I have some rare time off it's the first place I head."

The Master is returning to 'Doctor Who'. The Doctor's arch nemesis is set to make a grand return in the new series of the sci-fi show for the first time since 2010. The rogue Time Lord, who was last played by John Simm, is going to be recast and prod...

John Cleese has blasted the BBC for not understanding comedy.
The Monty Python and 'Fawlty Towers' legend doesn't think his comedy troupe's famous sketch show, 'Monty Python's Flying Circus', would survive on BBC today because commissioning executives have no experience in writing or producing comedy.
He told Time Out magazine: "What has happened since my time is that a very simple process, which worked wonderfully well at the BBC, has been lost. In those days the departmental heads were very trusting of their producers.
"What happens now is you have a new species, a 'commissioning editor', who, as far as I can make out, haven't actually written comedy, or directed it, and yet they seem to think that they understand comedy. This would be fine if they did understand it, but comedy is very difficult.
"Just look around - there's an awful amount of crap. These decisions are being taken by people who don't understand comedy but don't realise that they don't understand it."
The 74-year-old comic feels the BBC has lost some of its luster in the years since his classic shows entertained millions of viewers, and is dismayed by its decline.
He lamented: "One of the things that makes me saddest about the way the country has gone since I was young is the BBC. I look back at what was really a magnificent institution that, for economic reasons, has been thinned down and become something very different."

Piers Morgan has landed a new contract with ITV.
The 'Life Stories' host is set to extend his partnership with the channel just months after his US talk show, 'Piers Morgan Live', was axed by CNN.
Piers will front a brand new series of 'Life Stories', expected to run for six episodes, and various factual shows next year under his new deal.
An ITV source told The Sun newspaper: "We are talking to Piers about an initial run of six episodes of Life Stories next year and a new factual series.
"Negotiations are still ongoing and haven't concluded yet."
Unlike his current deal with ITV, however, the new contract won't be exclusive, which means the former newspaper editor is free to work for other British broadcasters as well.
While he may have been unceremoniously dropped by CNN in February, Piers can expect a big pay day from ITV as he is rumoured to make £55,000 per episode for the new series of 'Life Stories'.
Piers' US talk show was axed amid low ratings and controversy as has he often challenged America's rising gun crime. The star was accused of being too British and not understanding American culture, and was even the subject of a deportation petition.
The 49-year-old journalist previously expressed his desire to return to work in the UK and film another series of 'Life Stories'.
He said: "I have got plenty of offers to do stuff but I have a good relationship with ITV and we are both keen to keep it going. Money is never irrelevant but it is not my motivating factor for doing 'Life Stories'.
"I do it because I want to do a show in Britain. I am British and it keeps my hand in there. As long as they are popular and people like watching them, we will keep doing them."

EastEnders' Patrick Trueman is to suffer a major stroke.
The BBC One soap will raise awareness for the severe medical condition and its debilitating consequences in a new ongoing storyline and has worked closely with stroke survivors and leading charities for the plot.
Viewers will follow Patrick - played by Rudolph Walker - throughout the entire experience, from his initial symptoms, to suffering a stroke, and then dealing with the aftermath of the life-changing medical condition.
Rudolph said: "This is a truly important storyline as strokes affect so many different people, in so many different ways. We are all working very hard on this and I really hope Patrick's story can help raise awareness."
'EastEnders' executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins added: "This is an important storyline in so many ways. Not only does it give the wonderful Rudolph Walker the chance to shine, but we also hope it will raise awareness of the warning signs that come before a stroke and the difficulties of caring for the elderly in 21st Century Britain".
Producers are working closely with charities such as the Stroke Association and stroke survivors to ensure the storyline is accurate and handled with sensitivity.
Joe Korner, director of external affairs at the Stroke Association, said: "Many people will be able to identify with this storyline, including the 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK. A stroke can leave people facing the rest of their lives with a disability, and the emotional strain caused by the condition can be devastating
"We're thrilled that Rudolph Walker is taking on this challenging role and are very pleased to have been able to offer our advice and support with the plot development. We hope that Patrick's experiences will raise awareness amongst viewers particularly of the symptoms of a mini-stroke, which include facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, and last for a short period of time. It's a warning sign that a stroke could be on the way, yet thousands of people dismiss a mini-stroke as 'just a funny turn'. It's a medical emergency and anyone with those symptoms should call 999 immediately. Anyone who'd like to find out more about stroke can visit www.stroke.org.uk."

'Line of Duty' and BBC Two were among the big winners at the Freesat Free TV Awards last night (17.06.14).
BBC Two was triumphant at the annual television awards ceremony, taking home Channel of the Year, as well as Best TV Drama for its hit police corruption series and Best TV Sitcom for James Corden comedy 'The Wrong Mans'.
Keeley Hawes accepted the award for 'Line of Duty', which was praised for its sensational storytelling and the actress' stellar performance.
ITV soap 'Coronation Street' continued its winning streak over BBC rival 'EastEnders' by winning Best British TV Soap, following similar victories at the British Soap Awards and National Television Awards earlier this year.
'Doctor Who's' lavish 50th anniversary special, 'The Day of the Doctor', was crowned Best of British TV programme or series.
Ant and Dec were named Personality of the Year and their show 'Saturday Night Takeaway' took home Best Live TV Programme or Series.
Freesat managing director Emma Scott commented: "I never fail to be impressed with the outstanding quality of great free television and radio on Freesat. This year in particular has been a truly amazing one for TV drama, so we're particularly proud to see 'Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor' and 'Line of Duty' recognised as our winners from a fantastically strong field. "

Freesat Free TV Awards 2014 winners:

Channel of the Year: BBC Two
Best TV Drama: 'Line of Duty' (BBC Two)
Best TV Sitcom: 'The Wrong Mans' (BBC Two)
Best British Soap: 'Coronation Street' (ITV)
Best of British - TV Programme or Series: 'Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor' (BBC One)
Best Live TV Programme or Series: 'Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway' (ITV)
Best Factual TV Programme or Series: 'Educating Yorkshire' (Channel 4)
Best Children's TV Programme or Series: 'Katie Morag' (CBeebies)
Personality of the Year: Ant and Dec
Best Digital Radio Channel: Absolute 80s
Best Specialist Channel: The Travel Channel
Best News Channel: Radio 5 Live