Saturday, April 22, 2023

King Felipe of Spain - Birthday & Condolence Reply (2023)

I had written to King Felipe in January for his birthday included in my letter my condolences for the passing of his uncle King Constantine of Greece. 

In response to my letter I received two replies about a month apart. The envelopes for both were the same and the usual I receive from the Spain Royals. Printed on the envelope is a circle with "Office of HM the King - Protocol" along with the King's coat of arms. The back of the envelope is blank.


The first letter is to thank me for my Birthday Wishes. It is the usual sort of letter from King Felipe's office. 



The letter translated says: 
The Head of HM the King's Household
Palace de la Zarzuela
March 3rd, 2023

Ms. Gertrude Alexandra Daly 

[My Address] 

From the Head of the Household of His Majesty the King

His Majesty the King has asked me to convey to you, on his behalf, his affectionate gratitude for the warm congratulations that you have sent him on his birthday. 
With kind regards,
Jaime Alfonsin

A 2nd letter arrived a month later thanking me for my message of condolence. The letter is the same form as the one above. 




The letter translated says: 
The Head of HM the King's Household
Palace de la Zarzuela
March 3rd, 2023

Ms. Gertrude Alexandra Daly 

[My Address] 

From the Head of the Household of His Majesty the King

In response to his message of solidarity and support after the death of His Majesty King Constantine of Greece, I am charged by His Majesty the King to express his gratitude for your moving words. 
Please accept my warmest regards,  
Jaime Alfonsin

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Writing to King Charles & Queen Camilla for their Coronation (2023)

 

Writing for the 1st time?

If you are writing to the Royals for the 1st time (or want a refresher on the basics) check out our "How To" tab. This post will only cover the specifics for writing to King Charles & Queen Camilla for their coronation.

And remember, International Mail requires extra postage! Check with your local post office for the correct amount.

Where to write? 

Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA
UNITED KINGDOM

Since Charles's accession, the Palace has directed King Charles & Queen Camilla's mail to be sent to Buckingham Palace. 

You can find all the addresses for other royal here. For something like this I usually just write to the person the event is for, not extended family. But, if I am writing to a family member for another reason,  I might mention the Coronation. (I.e. In my Birthday letter to Prince George, I would probably mention that he did a good job as a Page of Honour.)

When to write?

Don't feel like you have to get your letter/card out today. I think anytime between now, and a few weeks after the coronation is a perfectly acceptable time to write. 

Personally, for things like this, I like to write after the event, so I can mentioned something that happened in my letter. 

What to Write?

I very often get asked this question. The answer is, 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 a letter or a card, either is perfectly fine. 


You don't need to write something long and elaborate. You can keep it simple and just give your congratulations or best wishes. Or, if you want you can write something longer, keep your letter to 1-page max. 

You can talk about:

  • The Coronation
    • What it means for you
    • What you are doing to mark the event
    • Your participation in a local:
      • Big Lunch
      • Big Help
    • What you like best about the ceremony/ or are looking forward to
  • King Charles's reign so far
  • What work they do that you particularly admire
  • Etc. 

How to Style Charles & Camilla

You can write to the couple together, or if you prefer, you can write to just one of them. 

How you refer to the couple depends on how formal you wish to be:


Envelope:

  • Solo - Charles
    • HM The King
    • The King
    • TM King Charles
    • King Charles
    • Etc. 
If Charles goes by a different title where you are from, you could use that instead. (I.e. The King of Canada)
  • Solo- Camilla
    • HM The Queen Consort
    • The Queen 
    • HM Queen Camilla
    • Queen Camilla
    • Etc. 
  • Joint: 
    • TM The King & Queen 
    • The King & Queen Consort
    • TM King Charles & Queen Camilla
    • Etc. 

Dear _,  Line: 

  • Solo - Charles
    • Your Majesty
    • Sir
    • Charles
  • Solo - Camilla
    • Your Majesty
    • Ma'am
    • Camilla
  • Joint
    • Your Majesties
    • Sir and Ma'am
    • Charles & Camilla

Sending a Gift?

The Royals prefer well-wishers to make a donation to charity instead of sending a gift. You can mention your charitable donation in your letter and include some information about the organization. Some organizations I might recommend: 

  • Charles's Charities 
  • Camilla's Charities
    • Barnardo's - A Charity that help vulnerable children focusing on issues from fostering and adoption, young carers, sexual exploitation, poverty, and domestic violence. 
    • The National Literacy Trust - Literacy charity
    • Ebony Horse Club - A charity that helps to raise aspirations, education, life skills, and well-being of young people through horses.

But feel free to make a donation to a local charity if you prefer. That may be easier for international people. 

What to Expect in Reply?

The Palace has been very slow in getting out replies lately. So, I expect it will be 6+ months before they sent out all the replies. So, be very patient. I know they are still working on the replies for Queen Elizabeth's passing. 

Queen Elizabeth often sent out a folded card for big events. So, I would expect some similar reply from King Charles. Below are two of the cards I received from her. 

Queen Elizabeth's 90th Birthday Card

Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip's 70th Anniversary Card