Anyone who has had the pleasure of reading Lily Collins' heartfelt collection of essays titled Unfiltered will know just how awe-inspiring, honest and motivating the 28-year-old's words are.

From discussing her own struggles with body image, self-confidence, relationships, parents and dating, the Rules Don't Apply star's book shares a poignant conversation with her fans about the challenges of growing up and accepting your (perfectly acceptable) imperfections and, more importantly, who you are.

However, following the book's release last month, the British-born star – who has spoken candidly about her struggles with eating disorders in the past – gained a slightly unexpected reader in former First Lady, Michelle Obama.

Yesterday, the Californian-based actress posted a photo to Instagram revealing the mother-of-two had send her a 'thank you' letter, thanking Collins for her 'kindness' in sending her a copy of the book to share with her daughters.

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In an exclusive interview with ELLE UK, Lily has opened up about her reaction to receiving the type-written letter from the former First Lady, who she admits finding 'so inspiring'.

She said: 'I know she has two daughters so I thought I'd send the book because, 'why not?'. I never thought she'd ever receive it, read it or let alone reply, so when I received the letter – which I'm definitely going to frame – I was just so excited. It was a huge honour for me.'

Michelle Obama | ELLE UKpinterest
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'I wrote Unfiltered to start conversations [about subjects] girls consider to be quite taboo. I've been given the gift [of people saying] 'you're not alone'.

It was a huge honour for me.

'I never thought I'd get that kind of support about something I was so shameful of when I was younger. And then, for the former First Lady to support it… well, what a great Monday!

'To have her support and her letter means the world,' she added.

Receiving a personal letter from Michelle Obama sounds like a pretty good start of the week, to us.

Rules Don't Apply is out in cinemas Friday 21 April

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Katie O'Malley
Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.