The Royals absolutely love to get letters and cards from the public, and Christmas is no different!
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 Christmas 2023.
When to start writing?
My feeling is Christmas letters and cards should ideally arrive sometime in December. So I usually start sending out my letters in late November.
You don't want to start writing too early as it can affect what you get in reply. (Same with being too late.) If they don't have the Christmas reply printed when they open your letter, the office staff may just send you some generic reply, as they don't want mail stacking up in the office. Or alternatively, your letter could get set aside and as it is at the bottom of the pile, it could be one of the last to get replies.
Send by Date?
It is always hard to choose a "Send by Date" to recommend to you all. When you should send your letters varies: from country to country, where you are sending it to, the type of mail (economy, standard, first-class, priority, etc.), if it is a standard size envelope, etc.
Our general recommended Send by Date for International Mail is:
This may not get your letter/card there by Christmas, but it should be there in a timely fashion. I don't think it is vital that your letter/card arrive before Christmas, as many Royal offices won't even get to your Christmas letter/card until after the holiday.
If it is important to you that your letter/card arrive by Christmas you can find the exact "send by date" for your country by checking out your national postal service's website. Some of you may need to send your letter earlier, while others will have more time.
Remember during the Christmas season, it takes longer for mail to arrive.
What if I miss the Dec 11th Send By Date?
That is okay. Feel free to continue sending your letters/cards after this date, it just may not arrive until after Christmas, or in January.
If you are sending your letter after Christmas, I would re-focus it a little and wish them a Happy New Year and 2023. I think at the latest you can write until the end of the first or second week of January. But do keep in mind that writing late, might also affect what you get in reply. Some royals will only print a limited number of cards, and so if you write too late they might.
Addresses?
You can find all the addresses for the Royals under our "Addresses" tab. The only recent change in mailing addresses is King Charles & Queen Camilla's mail should now be sent to Buckingham Palace.
(We also created a Google Doc a few years ago with all the addresses for the Current European Monarchies, which you can print off.)
Note: The Correspondence Section at Clarence House will continue to handle the Waleses (formerly Cambridges) mail, as that is where the dedicated space, equipment, & staff for handling mail is located. This may change in the future, and we will update you when that happens.
What if I don't celebrate Christmas?
Don't worry! You can still send the Royals a Holiday/ Winter Season/ New Years' letter or card, or whatever it is you are celebrating this season. Be aware, however, most royals send out pre-made cards, that aren't personalized for each person, so their reply may thank you for your Christmas wishes.
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.
For Christmas you could mention things like:
- Some event in 2023 that was particularly meaningful to you
- or a cause, royal visit, etc.
- Coronation, Royal wedding, baby/pregnancy announcement, etc.
- What you are most excited about in 2024
- How this royal has inspired you
- What you admire about the royal family
- December or January birthdays/anniversaries
- etc.
What to expect?
The Royals get thousands of Christmas cards and letters each year, full of well-wishes and hopes for the coming year. Unfortunately, most are unable to send out personal responses. Responses vary greatly across the different royals. And, there are sadly some royals who don't send replies or don't reply to everyone who writes.
Most respond with a pre-made thank you, and the response will usually be sent sometime in January, or February. (You might get lucky with a December reply, or be made to wait until March. We have gotten a Christmas Reply in April, May & June before.)
And, do remember that it takes them a while to answer everyone. So, people may get their replies weeks or months apart. You can find a chart of past Christmas Response times here.
You can also check out my replies from past Christmases here.
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