King Charles and Queen Camilla sent warm well-wishes for the oldest man and woman in the UK, who recently celebrated milestone birthdays.Photo:The Royal Family/ Instagram; Chris Jackson/Getty
The Royal Family/ Instagram; Chris Jackson/Getty
King Charlesisn’t the only one with a crown in his closet!
A lesser-known arm of Buckingham Palace is the Anniversaries Office, which sends thousands of cards a year to people celebrating milestone birthdays and anniversaries. On Friday, courtiers posted an Instagram reel of very special birthday cards making their way to the oldest man and woman in the U.K. — who turned 111 and 114 years old!
In the clip, Royal Mail drove outside Buckingham Palace before the cameras panned to the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside hand-delivering 111-year-old John’s card on behalf of King Charles andQueen Camilla. The video then rolled to 114-year-old Ethel opening her card from the royal couple, stylishly accessorizing with a glittering tiara reminiscent of theroyal collection!
TheInstagramvideo was overlaid with shots of the Royal Mail being packaged at the Court Post Office and stamped with the Buckingham Palace post seal. The birthday cards opened with aformal portraitof King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 76, taken at the first state banquet of his royal reign in November 2022.
“My wife and I are so pleased to know that you are celebrating your 114th birthday on the 21st August 2023. This brings our warmest congratulations and heartfelt good wishes on such a special occasion,” the correspondence read. The note was signed with the King and Queen’s regal signatures — “Charles R” and “Camilla R,” short for “Rex” and “Regina," which mean King and Queen in Latin. Thenew signaturescame with the change in reign last year, following the death ofQueen Elizabethin September 2022.
“Oh thank you, your Majesty! Thank you very much!" Ethel exclaimed after reading her card.
A clip from the Instagram video the Royal Family shared of the 114th birthday card for Ethel.The Royal Family/ Instagram
The Royal Family/ Instagram
TheAnniversaries Officeat Buckingham Palace is over 100 years old, and the personal cards reach citizens of countries where King Charles is Head of State or U.K. Overseas Territories. Notes are sent to those marking their 100th and 105th birthdays (then each year after!), as well as those celebrating their 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries as well as each following year.
As seen in the royal family’s video, Ethel’s birthday party included a display table where previous birthday cards from Queen Elizabeth were presented. Ethel was born in 1909 during the reign of King Edward VII, while John was born in 1912 during the reign of King George V.
Correspondence from King Charles and Queen Camilla has made a splash on social media since the new reign began. In February, Camilla surprised Adam Simpson-York, who runs the Facebook pageMedals Going Home, with a personal thank-you note. Simpson-York had recently mailed Buckingham Palace a photo he found on eBay of Queen Camilla’s great-great-grandmother Edrica Faulkner, and he was delighted to receive a personal reply from the royal.
“Many thanks for the photograph of my great, great-grandmother. It is the first time I have ever seen her picture, I must say she looks a bit sad in it!” the Queen Consort wrote. “With best wishes, Camilla,” she signed the note on Clarence House stationery, stamped with hernew royal cypher.
Queen Camilla at the 2023 Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Simpson-York told PEOPLE he was thrilled to receive such a genuine reply after mailing in the picture in January.
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More recently, the King and Queen’s teamcharmed school childrenwith a thank-you for well-wishes sent for the May coronation day.
“This week the school received a letter and card from His Majesty King Charles and Queen Camilla, thanking the pupils for writing to them on the occasion of their Coronation,” Mayfield Preparatory School wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in July. “The Head of the Royal Correspondence, Thomas Claridge, wrote the letter on their behalf. How lovely!”
source: people.com
