Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Luxembourg Royal Replies - Main Page

Grand Duke Jean's Replies (2016-2019) are listed here. 

2022
2021

2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
  • Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa - 35th Wedding Anniversary
  • Prince Félix & Princess Claire -  Announcement of their 2nd Pregnancy
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Sunday, October 28, 2018

Official Royal Postmarks - UK

Current Postmark - PB5577562 Mailmark

There are a number of different postmarks for the British Royals. The postmarks usually relate to which post office your letter was processed through.

The Royal Mail (UK's national postal service) runs the Court Post Office at various royal residences (Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Sandringham, etc.). They receive all the incoming mail for the Royal Offices & Households in that area. They run additional security checks and then sort the mail and deliver it to the correct Royal office.

It is then the Royal Mail's job to collect all of the Royal's outgoing mail and take it back to the Court Post Office. It is there the outgoing mail is franked (stamped with the postage and postmark). The mail will then be sorted and sent out to be delivered.

This is why all of the royal mail from London has Buckingham Palace on the postmark; it is because that is the name of the post office where it is processed.

Since 2001, the Sovereign Grant has paid for the Royal's postage. Previously, the service was provided for free by the Royal Mail.

Since I have been writing to the royals there have been 3 redesigns. In March 2019, The Royals changed their PPI number. This forced them to redesign all of their postmarks. And following Queen Elizabeth's death, postmarks were redesigned to feature King Charles's Cypher. Then, it switched again due to the Royal Mail's switch to Mailmark machines.


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Monday, October 22, 2018

Queen Paola of Belgium - hospitalization Reply (2018)

Today I received a reply from Belgium, from Queen Paola (81), King Philippe's mother. I had written to Queen Paola last month, to wish her a speedy recovery following her stroke & hospitalization.

Queen Paola has a lot of different envelopes she uses. I have 6 different versions so far. This one has a simple front.



Along with a purple crown on the back, with a purple inside.



The card is written by Caroline Nève de Mévergnies, who is the Dame of Honor to Queen Paola (AKA Senior Lady-in-Waiting). The signature is printed on. 



The card translates to:
Belvédère Castle

October 2018 
Her Majesty Queen Paola thanks you wholeheartedly for the wishes of a speedy recovery that you have sent her. 
With my best feelings, 

Caroline Nève de Mévergnies
Dame of Honor to HM Queen Paola

Queen Paola seems to be doing well following her stroke. She was seen earlier this month out voting in the election and walking unaided.

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Addresses for Divorced Former Royals

If we don't have an address you are looking for, just ask we can try to find it for you. And if you know of any working addresses for other divorced, former royals it would be great if you shared.

Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah doesn't have a public mailing address. But if you write to Prince Andrew's office, they will forward the letters on to her.
Sarah, Duchess of York
Duke of York's Office
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA
UNITED KINGDOM
Note: Sarah is not an HRH.

Tessy de Nassau, Princess of Luxembourg
Mail sent to the Luxembourg Palace does not get forwarded to Tessy. Tessy has had a few different mailing addresses since the divorce announcement. So, her address may change again. (As of March 2019)
PO Box 74716
London W8 9JB
UNITED KINGDOM  
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Sunday, October 21, 2018

Sample Letter/Cards - Anniversary/Jubliee

Here are some sample letters and cards to the Royal for their Anniversary/Jubilee.

If you would like to submit your own letter/card, email me at gertsroyals@gmail.com or direct message me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

I will pick a few of the best that represent a range of styles for the more formal to informal, personal, creative, long, short, etc. And I will remove any sensitive personal information like your address, last name, (First name too if you want), etc.

Sample 1: Prince Hans-Adam & Princess Marie - 50th Wedding Anniversary (2017)

I hand wrote in "Dear Your Serene Highnesses," & "Yours Sincerely, Gertrude Daly." The address at the bottom has been blacked out.


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Sample letters/cards - Engagement/Weddings

Here are some sample letters and cards to the Royal for their engagement/wedding.

If you would like to submit your own letter/card, email me at gertsroyals@gmail.com or direct message me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

I will pick a few of the best that represent a range of styles for the more formal to informal, personal, creative, long, short, etc. And I will remove any sensitive personal information like your address, last name, (First name too if you want), etc.

Sample 1 - Prince & Princess Micheal of Kent - Daugther's engagement (2018)

I hand wrote in "Dear Your Royal Highnesses," & "Yours Sincerely, Gertrude Daly." The address at the bottom has been blacked out.


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Sample Letters - Christmas

Here are some sample letters and cards to the Royal for Christmas.

If you would like to submit your own letter/card, email me at gertsroyals@gmail.com or direct message me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

I will pick a few of the best that represent a range of styles for the more formal to informal, personal, creative, long, short, etc. And I will remove any sensitive personal information like your address, last name, (First name too if you want), etc.

Sample 1: Charles & Camilla - Christmas (2017)
I hand wrote in "Dear Your Royal Highnesses," & "Yours Sincerely, Gertrude Daly".
The blackout part at the bottom is my address.

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Sample letters/cards - Pregnancy/ Birth

Here are some sample letters and cards to the Royal for their pregnancy announcement/birth

If you would like to submit your own letter/card, email me at gertsroyals@gmail.com or direct message me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

I will pick a few of the best that represent a range of styles for the more formal to informal, personal, creative, long, short, etc. And I will remove any sensitive personal information like your address, last name, (First name too if you want), etc.

Sample 1 - Prince Carl Philip & Princess Sofia's Pregnancy Announcement (2017)

I hand wrote in "Dear Your Royal Highnesses," & "Yours Sincerely, Gertrude Daly." The address at the bottom has been blacked out.

Sample 2 - Mike & Zara Tindall - Birth of 2nd Daughter (2018)

I hand wrote in "Dear Zara & Mike Tindall," & "Yours Sincerely, Gertrude Daly." The address at the bottom has been blacked out. 



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Sample letters/cards - Birthdays

Here are some sample letters and cards to the Royal for their birthday.

If you would like to submit your own letter/card, email me at gertsroyals@gmail.com or direct message me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

I will pick a few of the best that represent a range of styles for the more formal to informal, personal, creative, long, short, etc. And I will remove any sensitive personal information like your address, last name, (First name too if you want), etc.

Sample 1: Queen Sofia of Spain (2018)

I hand wrote in "Dear Her Majesty," & "Yours Sincerely, Gertrude Daly". The address at the bottom has been blacked out.


Sample 2: Sarah, Duchess of York (2019)

I hand wrote in "Dear Sarah," & "Yours Sincerely, Gertrude Daly." The address at the bottom has been blacked out.



Sample 3: Birthday

Sample 4: Prince George (2018)
Front of Card
Inside of Card & Envelope
Note: The Cambridges' Mail is answered at by the correspondence section at Clarence House. So it is best to write directly to Clarence House. Mail sent to Kensington Palace is forwarded to Clarence House.

Sample 5: Princess Elizabeth of Belgium (2018)
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Saturday, October 20, 2018

Spain Royal Replies - Main Page

Replies from the Spain Royals have been separated into their own pages:

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Thursday, October 18, 2018

Christmas Replies (2017)

2017 was the 4th year of writing to the Royals for Christmas.
**We will be linking replies here as their blog posts are added to our new site**
UK
Foreign Royals
Belgium
Denmark
Liechtenstein 
Luxembourg
Monaco 
Netherlands
Spain
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Christmas Replies (2016)

2016 was the 3rd year of writing to the Royals for Christmas. And I had expanded my Christmas list from the previous year adding a few more royals. This was the first Christmas I wrote to all 10 current European Monarchies. (Although I didn't get replies from everyone.)
**We will be linking replies here as their blog posts are added to our new site**
UK
Foreign Royals
Belgium
Denmark
Liechtenstein 
Luxembourg
  • Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa
  • Prince Louis & Princess Tessy 
Monaco 
Netherlands
Spain
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    Wednesday, October 17, 2018

    Prince Louis - Birth Reply (2018)

    A lovely reply arrived today from the UK. I had written to the Cambridges, 5 and 1/2 months ago, to congratulate the couple on the birth of their 3rd child, HRH Prince Louis.

    And finally, after a very long wait, I received a reply. (This was not my longest wait ever. That would be 6.5 months for The Queen's 90th Birthday Reply.)


    The reply is the usual from Clarence House, a photo card with typed message on the back. The front of the card features a photo of Prince Louis taken by Duchess Kate at Kensington Palace.


    The back of the card features the usual sort of message. I especially like that they included Prince Louis's full title & date of birth at the bottom. 


    The message reads:
    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were very touched that you took the trouble to write as you did on the birth of their son, Prince Louis.  
    Their Royal Highnesses are most grateful for the wonderful messages they have received and send you their warments thanks and best wishes.  
    HRH Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge 

    23rd April, 2018
    Included with the photocard is a letter from Claudia Spens, who is the head of the Correspondence Section at Clarence House. The letter is to thank me for the donation I made in the honor of Prince Louis's birth.


    The letter reads:
    Dear Miss Daly,  
    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have asked me to thank you for your letter and your message of congratulations following the birth of their son, Prince Louis. I apologise for the delay in replying to you owing to the overwhelming number of letters and cards received in recent months.  
    It was kind of you to tell Their Royal Highnesses that, in honour of this happy event, you have made a donation to the Ronald McDonald Charities of Ann Arbor in Michigan and The Duke and Duchess are most grateful for your generous gesture.  
    Their Royal Highnesses have asked me to send you their warmest thanks and best wishes.  
    Yours Sincerely, Claudia Spens
    After the birth of Prince Louis, the couple has asked well-wishers to consider making a donation to a local children’s charity in lieu of sending a gift. So I made a donation to the Ronald McDonald House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. I chose this particular charity because it was a good, local organization I was familiar with (I actually lived right next to it during University), and one that is similar to the causes the couple support.

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    Monday, October 15, 2018

    Queen Paola of Belgium - Birthday Reply (2018)

    Today, I received a reply from Queen Paola of Belgium. I had written to her last month for her 81st birthday.

    The front of the envelope features a purple crown and the name of Queen Paola's official residence, Belvédère (Castle). The stamp on the bottom left says "Service du Roi/ Service of the King."



    Inside is a typed card, with printed on signature.


    The message is in French, one of Belgium's official languages, and translates to:
    Belvédère Castle
    September 2018 
    With all my heart, thank you very much for your kind greetings and thoughts on the occasion of my birthday,
    Paola

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    Writing to Prince Harry & Duchess Meghan for their Pregnancy Announcement

    If you would like to congratulate Prince Harry & Duchess Meghan on the announcement they are expecting their 1st child, you can write to them at:
    TRH Duke & Duchess of Sussex
    Clarence House 
    London SW1A 1BA
    UNITED KINGDOM

    They should reply with their usual postcard sized photo with typed message on the back.  It should be something similar to the reply for the Cambridge's pregnancy. 



    Expect longer response times, as they will be getting a lot more mail and are still behind on replies for Prince Louis's birth & Sussex wedding. So, while some of you may get a reply quickly, some of us may be waiting for many months.
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    Sunday, October 14, 2018

    Belgium Royal Replies - Main Page

    We are in the process of moving the replies, as we have broken them up by couple/family.
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    Thursday, October 11, 2018

    York Family Replies - Main Page

    Prince Andrew's Badge Modified for 2020 York Family Christmas Card

    Here are my replies for the Yorks:


    2023
    2021
    2020
    2019
    Birthday:
    Other: 
    2018
    Birthday:
    • Andrew
    • Eugenie
    • Sarah (Plus note for Eugenie's Wedding)
    Other:
    2017
    Birthday:
    Other:
    2016
    Birthday:
    Other:
    2015
    Birthday:
    Other:
    2014
    Birthday:
    • Sarah
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    Wednesday, October 10, 2018

    Prince Harry - Birthday Reply (2018)

    A reply arrived today from the UK. I had written to Prince Harry in September for his birthday.

    The reply is the usual photo card.


    I didn't get a photo reply last year, I got a letter. But I did see last year's reply, and it used the same photo. The photo was taken by Chris Radburn on December 6th, 2016, during Prince Harry's visit to Guyana during his Caribbean tour.


    The message reads: 
    The Duke of Sussex is most grateful to you for writing as you did on the occasion of his 34th birthday. It really was so thoughtful of you and His Royal Highness sends you his warmest thanks and best wishes. 
    ----
    Note: Clarence House is still working on sending out replies for all the different events. So don't worry if you haven't gotten a reply for Prince Louis's birth, Sussex wedding, etc. There are a lot of us still waiting.

    And with all the mail they receive, Clarence House doesn't answer things in the order they arrive at their office. They just get to things when they get to it.

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    Friday, October 5, 2018

    Writing to Princess Eugenie & Jack Brooksbank for their Wedding

    The Royals absolutely love to get letters and cards from the public, and special occasions like a Royal Wedding is no different!

    When to write?
    I would write after the wedding, as you may want to comment on the events, and your feelings about everything. And don't worry if you don't get your letter out right away. A week or two after the event is a very acceptable time frame to send your congratulations. (& honestly, given how much mail they are going to receive, a slightly latter reply is fine.)

    How to address the couple?
    I'm not sure exactly how they will be styled post-wedding, but it will probably be something like "HRH Princess Eugenie & Mr. Jack Brooksbank." There are a lot of different ways you can address the couple in your letter, depending on if you want to be more formal and correct or more informal and every day. As long as you are being respectful and thoughtful, it is hard to go wrong. Here are just a few options:

    Envelope
    • HRH Princess Eugenie & Mr. Jack Brooksbank
    • Mr. & Mrs. Jack Brooksbank
    • Jack & Eugenie Brooksbank
    • Eugenie & Jack
    • Princess Eugenie & Jack
    • Etc. 
    "Dear _," Line
    • Your Royal Highness & Mr. Brooksbank
    • Mr. & Mrs. Brooksbank
    • Eugenie & Jack
    • Etc.
    Note: Princess Eugenie will no longer be "of York" after the wedding. Children only use their parent's territorial designation until they get married, or get their own title.

    Where to send your letter/card to?
    Letter to the couple should be sent to Prince Andrew's office at Buckingham Palace.

    Duke of York's Office
    Buckingham Palace
    London SW1A 1AA
    UNITED KINGDOM


    What to write?
    Write whatever you feel like writing about. There is no one right answer. As long as you are being respectful and thoughtful, it is hard to go wrong.

    You can send them a card or letter with a short, simple acknowledgment. Or you can gush about your feelings about the wedding and how amazing this and that was. (But do keep your letter to 1-page max!) 

    Can I send a Gift?
    The Royals prefer that well-wishers make a donation to charity in lieu of sending a gift. Eugenie & Jack have not announced any specific charities they would like donations to be sent to. So feel free to donate to any cause that is meaningful to you. If you can't think of one, I would suggest donating to one of Princess Eugenie's Patronages, or some local cause that is meaningful to you. 

    And yes, it is perfectly fine to mention in your letter/card that you made a donation on their behalf to charity. They would love to hear about it. 

    What to expect?
    Expect a much longer response time than usual! (I would expect at least 2-4 month, but it could even take as long as 6 months. And as always, they reply to letters as they get to them. So, just because someone got a reply, doesn't mean you will get yours in the next few days or weeks. It takes months to get through all the mail for a major event like this.)

     The couple will likely reply with a card, similar to their engagement reply. 

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    Thursday, October 4, 2018

    Writing a Letter of Condolence

    My condolence cards. 

    A letter of condolence is a very sad thing to write. You write to the family, to send them your sympathies after the loss of a loved one.

     I won't repeat the basics of writing to the Royals, as it is pretty much the same for all letters. You can find a lot of helpful info on that here. And the address here. In this post, I will just go into the specifics of a letter of condolence.

     Who to write to?
    Most of the time this is obvious. Usually, you send a letter of condolence to the closest living family member.

     But sometimes it this can be difficult, you're not sure who the closest family member is, or aren't that familiar with the close family, as they aren't a part of the immediate royal family, etc.

     To figure out who to write to, ask yourself the following questions:
    • How is the media describing the person who has passed away? (E.g. The headlines may say something like [Royal Name]'s Uncle/Brother/Cousin passed away).
    • Who released a statement about the person's passing?
    • Who was mentioned in the obituary?
    • Who attended the funeral?
    • Who do you have an address for?
    • Who is a working Royal?
    • Who responds to letters?
    • etc.
    Who you send your letters to, and where you send it, may affect if you get a reply and what you will get.

     I usually send my letter of condolence to one person and write at the beginning that I'm sending my condolences to you and your family.

     If you are really stumped on who to send your letter of condolence to, you can always address your letter to "The Family of [person who passed away]."

     When to write?
    Don't feel like you need to write the minute you hear the news. Give yourself a few days to reflect, see what information is being released by the Palace, family, media, etc.

     I think anytime within 2 weeks after the passing or shortly after the funeral is acceptable.

     What to say?
    Letters of condolences are best-kept brief, anywhere from a few lines to a page.

     Things you might include in your letter:
    • Your condolences to the person you are writing to (and their family). 
    • How you felt when you hear the news
    • Your feeling towards that person who has passed away
      • Were they your favorite? Why?
      • What did you admire about them?
    • Share a favorite memory
      • How will you remember the person who has passed?
      • What were their best strengths or characteristics?
    • Let the family know they will be in your thoughts/prayers 

    Handwrite vs. Typed?
    There is this old rule that letters of condolences must be handwritten. This comes from a time when people learned beautiful penmanship and typewriters were a new invention. If you have nice handwriting, I would strongly encourage you to handwrite your note. It makes it more beautiful and personal.

     But if you don't have nice handwriting, and a typed letter is actually going to look nicer and be easier to read, then feel free to type it.

     I've sent both handwritten and typed letters of condolence in the past. I usually handwrite the note if it is only a few lines. And will type the note if it is longer.

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