Canberra, Apr 2 (IANS): A 99-year-old Australian woman, known to be Prince Harry's "biggest fan", died, just days after receiving a birthday card from the royal and his wife Meghan.

Daphne Dunne passed away peacefully on Monday, her family was quoted as saying by the BBC. Australia is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, with the Queen as head of state.

Dunne featured heavily in Harry's Australia trips and has pictures on Instagram of several encounters with the prince in recent years.

The widow earlier said she'd had "a very special friendship" with the prince, the BBC reported.

Just days ago, she received a birthday card from the couple, the report said. "Dear Daphne, my wife and I send our warmest wishes to you on the occasion of your 99th birthday on Friday," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrote, according to Australian media, signing the card simply "Harry and Meghan".

Dunne was among the cheering crowd and was greeted warmly by the royals during their 2018 Australia visit. After meeting the couple, the Australian said, "it was lovely to meet the duchess, Meghan. Harry is a wonderful man and I'm so happy he had found happiness, they both deserve the absolute world together".

Dunne's first husband, Lieutenant Albert Chowne, died in 1945 while fighting in Papua New Guinea and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, which Dunne was wearing when she first met Prince Harry in 2015. She later married John Patrick Dunne.