The Court Post Of ce BRITISH STAMPS BRITISH Part one of this article (published in last month’s GSM) introduced the subject and recorded current postal and certifying markings. This concluding part starts with mourning and celebratory mail and goes on to give a brief history of each residence served by the Court Post Of ce, records where members of the Royal Family currently live and details the Royal Mail of ce that is used to process incoming and outgoing mail. The Court Post Of ce: Part Two By Glenn H Morgan and John Holman Mourning Mail up to six months after the event has been events in the past few years, the most recent, The past few years have witnessed much celebrated. As it is The Queen’s custom to of course, being that of Prince William to sadness for the Royal Family, although their send messages only to citizens of one of Her Miss Catherine Middleton, now the Duke and grieving is far less private than for most Realms or UK Overseas Territories, those Duchess of Cambridge. Senders of greetings of us. They go into immediate mourning, born or married overseas, or who currently letters and cards who included their name traditionally for a period of up to six months live abroad, must provide evidence of their and address details received an attractive card depending on who has died, although these British nationality. depicting the happy couple on their wedding days it tends to be only for a few days. Wherever possible, cards are ‘pulled’ in day with the standard red meter PPI marking When Princess Diana, Princess Margaret instances where death of a proposed recipient of Buckingham Palace used on the return and HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother has been advised in time, to avoid impacting envelope and an embossed ‘W’ monogram passed away there were huge increases in on the grief of the family. This can involve on its ap. mail received at the Royal residences. At contacting the local delivery of ce on the the height of mourning for Princess Diana, proposed date of delivery—something that The 2012 Diamond Jubilee between 80 and 100 mailbags a day were was never possible with Telemessages. In such celebrations being received, compared to the more usual circumstances, Her Majesty’s Private Secretary The historic occasion of the Diamond Jubilee two or three. sends a letter of condolence to the family on has seen the creation of a Royal ‘thank you’ From a collecting viewpoint, Royal deaths behalf of The Queen. card with six images of Her Majesty on it. produce mourning stationery in the form In 2002, a total of 22,000 cards were The envelope offers a unique souvenir of of envelopes and letterheads framed with despatched, all of which were sent by Royal the event as it bears the Royal Mail rst class a black border, which are brought into Mail Special Delivery two days prior to the Diamond Jubilee Machin de nitive cancelled service as a mark of respect on all outgoing intended receipt date. If the celebrant lives with an amended version of the standard mail. There are funeral invitations to post, in Australia, Canada or New Zealand, the franking machine die. The PPI has been acceptances to process and letters of thanks completed application form is submitted replaced by a series of wavy lines to cancel in respect of the condolences expressed to the relevant Governor-General, who, as the stamp and will be used on replies to all to despatch totalling many thousands of The Queen’s personal representative in such mail received during this special year, additional mail items. these countries, arranges for despatch of but not on day-to-day mail despatched from the greetings. Buckingham Palace, or on any mail using Celebratory Mail Royal Cards are intended for recipients the Windsor Castle franking machine. Early There is a long tradition of a Monarch residing in the UK. An insert bears the responses bore the gold Machin stamp until sending greetings to subjects reaching a Royal Coat of Arms, a greeting from Her the ‘Diamond Blue’ colour was issued (see milestone in life, be it a signi cant age Majesty and a facsimile of her signature. A BP Type 8 image in part one of this article). or wedding anniversary. King George V (Buckingham Palace) pre x on the Special introduced a service in 1917 that marked Delivery label’s number identi es the source The Residences served 100th birthdays and diamond (60th) of the mail item to Royal Mail of cials. When Her Majesty or other qualifying wedding anniversaries. This tradition has There are currently two Royal Cards in member of the Royal Family is in residence, been continued, and expanded. Her Majesty use, both depicting Her Majesty. The rst is a staff from the Court Post Of ce is sent to now sends messages for diamond, 65th and semi-permanent card showing Her in a white meet their needs and apply the appropriate platinum (70th) wedding anniversaries and checked blue dress, intended for recipients handstamps to outgoing mail. At all other every year thereafter, and for 100th and 105th celebrating their 100th birthday or diamond times the PPI handstamps are applied birthdays and every year thereafter. wedding anniversaries. The second design is by Royal Household staff. Incidentally, a changed annually and presently shows Her duplicate set of most handstamps are retained Royal Cards Majesty in a blue coat, which is used for all at Buckingham Palace. The Inland Telegram Service had been other celebrants covered by the scheme. The used until 1982, when Telemessages took annual change was brought about when an Balmoral Castle their place. Royal Cards have replaced elderly recipient of 109 observed that she was Balmoral Castle on the Balmoral Estate these since 12 June 1999. Many people do receiving an identical card every year. Prince in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is the private not realise that it is necessary to apply for a William made a personal visit to Catherine residence of The Queen. Mail from this castle congratulatory message, believing that a card Masters at her nursing home by way of an is collected and handled by Royal Mail at will magically appear. This is not feasible, apology promising that his Grandma would Aberdeen. Post of ce counter services were not least because of Data Protection Act wear a different out t for her next card. permanently withdrawn on 9 October 2000. legislation which would preclude the Royal Previous recent designs have been seen where Household from having access to the dates of she is wearing a red or a yellow dress and Buckingham Palace every potential celebrant. A form addressed others undoubtedly exist. Buckingham Palace has served as the of cial to the Anniversaries Of ce at Buckingham London residence of Britain’s sovereigns Palace will, however, result in a card being Recent Royal weddings since 1837 and today is the administrative sent. Applications must not be made more A Royal wedding always captures the public’s headquarters of the Monarch. Mail from this than three weeks in advance, but can be sent imagination and there have been several such palace is collected and handled by Royal Mail 48 G.S.M. July 2012 July The Court Post Office Part 2.indd 48 07/06/2012 15:48:25 The Court Post Of ce BRITISH STAMPS BRITISH at its Nine Elms Mail Centre, although this is set to change later in 2012. Birkhall When at Birkhall, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall enjoy shing and walking in the Scottish countryside. Mail from this residence is collected and handled by Balmoral Castle when Their Royal Highnesses are in residence. Castle of Mey In 1952 Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother saw the Castle and despite its poor condition, she purchased it that year and set about renovating and restoring both the Castle Photo credit: Buckingham Palace - David Baron and its gardens. In 1996, The Queen Mother established The Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey Trust, to which the castle was transferred later that year. Mail from this residence is collected and own to London and cancelled by the Buckingham Palace meter franking when Royalty are in residence. Clarence House Clarence House, which stands beside St James’s Palace, was built between 1825 and The Buckingham Palace and Windsor An original Royal Card depicting Her Majesty in a 1827 to the designs of John Nash for Prince Castle badges used by the postmen at red dress, as inserted into the white envelope. And William Henry, Duke of Clarence. Today, these residences the inside message to the original Royal Card. Clarence House is the of cial London residence of The Prince of Wales and The and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke and and Prince Harry has also been based at Duchess of Cornwall, and Princes William Duchess of Kent and Prince and Princess St James’s Palace, although their of cial and Harry. Mail from this house is collected Michael of Kent. Mail from this palace is residence remains Clarence House. St James’s and handled by Buckingham Palace, hence collected and handled by Buckingham Palace contains the London residences of the lack of Clarence House postal markings. Palace, hence the lack of Kensington Palace The Prince of Wales, The Princess Royal and postal markings. Princess Alexandra. Mail from this palace is Estate and Other Of ces handled by Buckingham Palace, hence the These are located across the Kingdom and Palace of Holyroodhouse lack of St James’s Palace postal markings, invariably utilise a commercial meter franking Founded as a monastery in 1128, the Palace although a couple of certifying stamps (Type machine, often with a pictorial element at left of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is The 10) do remain in use.