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 just a reminder, if you are sending a letter internationally, you need an international stamp! [Or the equivalent postage.])
Who to write to:You can write to the Queen and if you would like, mention that you are sending your condolences to her and her family.
Alternatively, you can send multiple letters or cards to the different members of Prince Philip's family. Obviously, I wouldn't write to every royal individually, but you can send a letter to a couple or family.
I will probably write to the Queen & Philip's four children. And for each, mention I am sending my condolences to them and their family.
Address:
The address for The Queen is:
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA
UNITED KINGDOM
You can find a list of all the addresses for the British Royals here.
How to style the royal on the envelope and Dear _, Line:
When writing to the Royals there are a lot of different ways you can address them depending on how formal or informal you wish to be and the tone of your letter/card.
We have a blog post that breaks down some ways to address people based on their title. You can find it here. (The 2nd table shows how to address couples.)
When to write:
Don't feel like you need to write this minute. 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/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:
Handwrite vs. Typed:
There is an old, outdated rule that letters of condolences must be handwritten.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's longer.
Don't feel like you need to write this minute. 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/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 Prince Philip
- Was he your favorite? Why?
- What did you admire most about him?
- Share a favorite memory
- How will you remember Prince Philip?
- What were his best strengths or characteristics?
- Did you ever get to meet/see him in person?
- If you made a donation in his honor, you can mention that
- Why you chose to donate to that organization
- What that organization does
- Let them know they will be in your thoughts/prayers
Donations:
Should you wish to make a charitable donation in memory of Prince Philip you can. The Palace has not named any specific charities for people to donate to. But have instead encouraged people to give to a charity of their choosing or one of the charities or organizations which Prince Philip supported in his public duties.
There is an old, outdated 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's longer.
