I received together, in one envelope, both a letter and Prince Harry's usual photo Christmas reply. This is the first time that has happened to me. I have occasionally received a letter, instead of the usual Christmas or Birthday reply, but have never been sent both.
The Christmas photo reply is the same as last year, except the wording on the back is slightly different. Prince Harry's birthday replies for 2015 & 2016 used the same photo as well.
The card reads:
Prince Harry is most grateful to you for the kind message you sent at Christmas and sends you his very best wishes for the New Year.They are obviously making up new cards each year, for each event, as the messages are slightly different. Personally, I do find it a little annoying they don't switch the photo up if they are printing off new cards. I could understand if they had extras from last year they were continuing to use, but that is not the case here.
Now on to the letter! It was written, like usually, by Claudia Spens, whose actual title is Head of the Correspondence Section at Clarence House. The Correspondence Section answers all of Charles, Camilla, Harry, and the Cambridges mail. (And YES, you really should be sending your mail for Harry & the Cambridges to Clarence House, not Kensington Palace.)
The Correspondence Section is mainly made up of part-time staff, which explains why it can take forever to receive a reply. Last year, the annual reports said the Correspondence Section had the equivalent of 2.8 full-time staff members. But over the last 5 years, the correspondence section staff has averaged the equivalent of 3.4 full-time staff members. Claudia Spens is full-time and there is possibly another full-time staff member, and the rest are part-time.
The letter reads:
Dear Miss Daly,
Prince Harry has asked me to thank you for your letter of 10th November and I do apologise for the delay in replying to you.
His Royal Highness was so grateful that you should take the trouble to write as you did. It really was most thoughtful of you and Prince Harry was immensely touched by your wonderful words of support.
His Royal Highness thoroughly enjoyed his recent tour of the Caribbean. He very much looks forward to the opportunity to return in the future and he appreciated your good wishes.
Although unfortunately unable to reply to you personally, Prince Harry has asked me to send you his warmest thanks for your kind letter and his sincerest best wishes.
Back to Replies - Main PageYours sincerely,Claudia Spens
