King Charles of UK - 75th Birthday Reply (2023)

I received this reply today from the UK. I had written to King Charles in November for his 75th Birthday. 

The envelope is the usual from King Charles. The front features the new postmark that was updated a few months ago to reflect the Royal Mail's switch to Mailmark machines. And the back featured King Charles's coat of arms. 

Inside is a folded card. The front of the card features King Charles's Cypher engraved in gold.

The inside features a photo of King Charles, along with a typed message and printed on signature. This is different than Charles's normal Birthday reply, because this is a milestone Birthday, his 75th. We saw a similar folded card for Charles's 70th Birthday. 

Interestingly, King Charles did not choose a coronation photo for his birthday card. The photo is from The Scotland National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland. The photo was taken on July 5, 2023 by Chris Jackson. 

The message is the typical sort. Expect this is the first time I've gotten a reply from Charles written in the first person. 

The card says: 

I am enormously grateful to you for thinking of me on my 75th Birthday and for sending me such a touching message. 

This brings you my warmest good wishes. 

Charles R

More replies from King Charles & Queen Camilla

The Cambridges - Christmas Reply (2021)

I received this reply in March 2022. I actually received this reply twice, postmarked 4 days apart. The two replies were exactly the same. 

The envelope was the usual from the couple. 

Inside is a flat card. The front of the card features a photo of the couple that was taken in September in the card ride to/from the No Time to Die world premiere in London. 

The photo was released on the couple's social media to mark the New Year. The family did release a different photo for Christmas that was used on their person christmas card list to friends, family and people they work with. It was fairly common at the time for them to use a different photo for the photocard than what was released to mark that event. 

The back of the card is the usual sort from the couple. 

The card says: 

Thank you for the kind Christmas message which you sent to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

It was so appreciated by Their Royal Highnesses who send you their warmest wishes for the New Year. 

More replies from the Wales Family 

The Cambridges - Christmas Reply (2020)

I received this reply back in 2021 from The Cambridges (who are now known as The Wales.) I had written to the family at the end of 2020 to wish them a Merry Christmas. 

The envelope is the usual, that Prince William & Princess Kate still use today. The only difference is the postmark is still the one from Queen Elizabeth II's reign. 

The card is the usual flat card we see from them. The photo on the front was taken by Matt Porteous at the family's home Anmer Hall in Norfolk. This photo was also used on the couple's official christmas card that they send out to their person christmas card list. (It is not uncommon for Royals to have multiple versions of Christmas cards that get sent out to different groups of people.) This was the first time (at least in recent years) that the Wales had used the same photo for both their person Christmas card and their card to well-wishers. 

The back of the card is the usual. It features the coronet of a child of the heir apparent above the name of their office, Kensington Palace. The message is similar to past years, although they change it up slightly each year. 

The card says: 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis thank you for your very kind message at Christmas. 

This was most thoughtful of you and greatly appreciated by Their Royal Highnesses who send you their best wishes for a Happy New Year. 

More Replies from the Cambridges 

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark - 55th Birthday Reply (2023)

 I received this reply earlier this year. I had written to Crown Prince Frederik for his birthday in Mary. 

The envelope is the usual from the couple. 

The card is identical to past Birthday replies from the Prince. The couple use the same flat cards each year, so they can make the in bulk, save money and not have any waste year to year. That is why the card does not have any specific mention to the year or age of the Prince. 

Every few years, when they have to print of new cards, they do slightly change their card. You can see the past evolutions here.

The card says:

HRH Crown Princess & Crown Princess's Office

Amalienborg Palace

His Royal Highness The Crown Prince has asked me to thank you for your kind congratulations on the occasion of his birthday. 

Frederik VIII Palace

Amalienborg 1257 Copenhagen 

More replies from the Crown Prince Couple

King Willem-Alexander & Queen Maxima of the Netherlands - Reply for Short Story I Wrote (2023)

I received this reply from the Netherlands a while ago. This reply is extra special for two reasons. 1) The Netherland Royals changed their policy about what they reply to a few years ago. So, we no longer get replies for Birthdays, Christmas, etc. The last reply I got from them was for Christmas 2020.

2) The 2nd reason this reply is extra special is because I had written to them to share the short story I had written "What Does a Queen Do?". The short story takes place in the Netherlands and references King Willem-Alexander & Queen Maxima. So, I had wanted to share the story with them. 

My short story What Does a Queen Do? is a silly, child like story about a little girl from the Netherlands who dreams about being Queen. The short story was published recent in an anthology, The Spaces in Between. You can find the Anthology here. 

The letter is similar to the letter I received from the Netherland Royals in 2015. The images doesn't show it, but in the upper right is an embossed coat of arms. 

It looks like they have some sort of mail program that they use. Instead of writing and formatting a letter, they fill information into the fields of the program, and it generates the letter. (This would also allows them to easily store the recipient and letter's information in a database. And we know many Monarchies use databases to store information on people.) Everything in Dutch looks to be the pre-printed template. And then the type-writer font is what was put in the various fields. 

I doesn't show it clearly in the photo, but there are little dots in the 4 corners of the area for my address. That would probably be used from alignment, so they can ensure the address would be scene through the envelope window. 

The letter says: 

Service of the Royal House

Miss G.A. Daly

[My Address] 

No. 23/mwq 

The Hague 13 September 2023

Location - Noordeinde Palace

 

Dear Miss Daly, 

Thank you very much for your friendly letter and a copy of your short story What Does a Queen Do? than you recently sent to Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Netherlands. 

Your kind gesture is much appreciated. 

Your sincerely, 

Miss Jacqueline Zaaijer

Personal Advisor to His Majesty the King and

Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands.

I don't know what the 23/mwq means exactly. But my 2015 letter had 15 at the beginning of the "No." so the first number seems to be the year. 

More Replies from The Netherlands 

Hereditary Prince Alois - Birthday Reply (2023)

I received this reply a while ago from Liechtenstein. I had written to Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein in June for his birthday. 

The envelope was the usual from the Liechtenstein Royals. 

Inside is the usual card from the Liechtenstein Royals. I scanned the card against a black background, so you can see the textured edge. There is a lovely embossed coat of arms on the top of card. You can't see it well, but it has a lovely feel. 

The card is signed by Alois. "AL" for Alois Liechtenstein? The signature is slightly different than past replies from Prince Alois, so I believe the signature is real. 

The card says: 

Many thanks for your kind wishes

on the occasion of my birthday 

[Signature]

More Replies from Lichtenstein  

Prince Hans-Adam of Liechtenstein - Birthday Reply (2023)

I received this reply recently from Liechtenstein. I had written to Prince Hans-Adam of Liechtenstein in November for his birthday. 

The envelope was the usual from the Liechtenstein Royals. 

Inside is the usual card from the Liechtenstein Royals. I scanned the card against a black background, so you can see the textured edge. The card is signed by Hans-Adam. 

The card says: 

Many thanks for your kind wishes 

on the occasion of my birthday 

[Signature]

More Replies from Liechtenstein

King Carl Gustaf of Sweden - Golden Jubilee Reply (2023)

I received this reply a while ago from Sweden. I had written to King Carl Gustaf in September to congratulate him on his Golden Jubilee. I have not received a reply from Sweden in a few years. So, this was a special treat. 

The front of the envelope is the usual from the Swedish Royals, with the Coat of Arms of Sweden, with  "Royal Court" written underneath. 

The back of the envelope features one of King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee Logo. 

Inside is a folded card. The front of the cards features another version of the King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee Logo. The first line is King Carl Gustaf's cypher: C & G for Carl Gustaf, XVI as he is the 16th King Carl/Karl/Charles of Sweden. The 2nd and 3rd line say "Jubilee 50 Years" in Swedish. 

The inside of the card features a photo of King Carl Gustaf along with a message and printed on signature. The photo was taken in 2022 by Thron Ullberg in the Hall of State at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. This room is where King Carl Gustaf's enthronement ceremony took place in September 1973.

The card says: 

The Royal Palace, Stockholm, 2023

 

My sincerest gratitude to you for the kind greetings sent to me in connection with Jubilee. 

Carl Gustaf 

More Replies from Sweden