King & Queen of Norway's 80th Birthday Celebrations (May 9th-10th, 2017)

King Harald & Queen Sonja of Norway will both celebrate their 80th Birthday this year. Harald turned 80 on 21 February, and Queen Sonja will turn 80 on July 4th. 

To mark their 80th birthdays, there will be two days of official celebrations in Norway attended by a number of Foreign Royals. 

Tuesday, May 9

• Appearance on Balcony
• Gala Dinner at Royal Palace 
• Speeches
• King Harald
• Queen Sonja 
• Crown Prince Haakon & Princess Märtha Louise

Wednesday, May 10th 

• Lunch on Royal Yacht Norge
• Banquet at Opera House

Royals Confirmed: Palace says 30-40 Royal Guest Expected.  The Palace will likely release a full guest list on the 8th or 9th. 

• Norway 
• King Harald & Queen Sonja
• Crown Prince Haakon & Crown Princess Mette-Marit
• Princess Ingrid Alexandra
• Prince Sverre Magnus
• Princess Märtha Louise 
• 3 Daughters 
• Princess Astrid
• Belgium 
• King Philippe & Queen Mathilde
• Denmark 
• Queen Margrethe 
• Crown Prince Frederik & Crown Princess Mary
• Prince Joachim & Princess Marie (just 10th)
• Liechtenstein 
• None
• Luxembourg 
• Grand Duke Henri  & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa 
• Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume & Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie 
• Monaco 
• Prince Albert
• Netherlands 
• Princess Beatrix
• King Willem-Alexander & Queen Maxima
• Prince Constantijn  (just 9th)
• Princess Mabel 
• Spain 
• King Juan Carlos & Queen Sofia (just 10th)
• Sweden 
• King Carl Gustaf & Queen Silvia 
• Crown Princess Victoria & Prince Daniel
• Prince Carl Philip & Princess Sofia
• Madeleine Kogevinas (extended family) & Professor Bernhard Mach 
• Desirée Kogevinas (extended family) & Carlos Eugster
• UK 
• Countess Sophie of Wessex
• Lady Elizabeth Shakerley (Queen's Cousin)
• Greece
• Queen Anne Marie
• Crown Prince Pavlos & Crown Princess Marie-Chantal
• Prins Nikolaos & Prinsesse Tatiana

Also Check Out:
Norway Royals - Main Page
King Harald's Silver Jubilee Celebration

Princess Eugenie of York & Princess Marie of Liechtenstein - Birthday Replies (2017)

I received 2 pieces of royal mail today, which made me very happy. I had been getting a little impatient as it had been over 3 weeks since I received my last reply.

Princess Eugenie of York

The first piece of mail is from Princess Eugenie of York. I had written to her in March for her birthday. The reply is fairly typical of what you see from the Yorks. 

Like usual the reply is written by Amanda Thirsk, Prince Andrew's Private Secretary. Both my 2015 & 2016 Birthday reply for Princess Eugenie came a bit earlier in April, but it's still a good response time for the Yorks. 

Princess Marie of Liechtenstein

The 2nd reply is from Princess Marie of Liechtenstein. Her husaband, Prince Hans-Adam II, is the ruler of Liechtenstein. But he offically steped down from the day to day decision making in 2004, making his son Heretary Prince Alois regent. I had written to her earlier this month for her 77th Birthday. We actually have the same birthday, April 14th. 

The reply is the same kind of card as my 2 other replies from Liechtenstein. Although the other two had "Dear Miss Daly" written above the message. The signature at the bottom reads "Marie Liechtenstein." I'm not sure if it's a real signature or an autopen.  I love the texture on the edge of the card. And the embossed coat of arms is really nice, you can really feel it stick out from the paper. I'm surprised by how detailed the embossing can get. Here is a better look at it. 

Also Check Out:

Other Replies

Writing to the Royals 

Princess Eugenie - Patronages

The Tate Art Museum
Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital's Charity
Patron of Redevelopment Appeal (2012-2019)
Patron (2019 - Present)

The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital is one of the leading specialist orthopedic hospitals in the world. In 2002, at age 12, Princess Eugenie underwent back surgery to correct her scoliosis.

The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital's Charity helps the hospital to provide world-class care for all its patients and support it's pioneering work in orthopedic research and education. In 2012 Princess Eugenie became patron of the hospital's redevelopment appeal to build new state of the art facilities on the existing 100-year-old site. The new hospital was officially opened in 2019. 

Prince Andrew was Patron of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (?-2019).

Elephant Family

Patron (2016 - Present)

Elephant Family is an animal conservation charity founded in 2002. The Duchess of Cornwall's brother Mark Shand co-founded the charity. Elephant Family works to protect endangered Asian elephants, with conservation projects across Asia. The Charity works to secure elephant and wildlife habitats, reduce human-elephant conflicts and promotes education programs in the UK about these endangered elephants.

Duchess Camilla and Prince Charles become Joint President of Elephant Family after the death of Camilla's brother Mark Shand, although they had supported the charity numerous times in the years previous.

Camilla's sister Annabelle, & Eugenie's Mother, Duchess Sarah, are also Patrons of the charity. 

Teenage Cancer Trust

Patron (2016 - Present)

The Teenage Cancer Trust is a UK based charity. The charity works to help provide life-changing care for teens with cancer. They have 28 speciality cancer units with expert staff in NHS hospitals. They also provide these teen and their families support. Teenage Cancer Trust helps fund a portfolio of cancer research and policy. 

Duchess Sarah and Princess Beatrice are also patrons of the organization. 

The Coronet Theatre

Royal Patron of the Print Room (2016 - 2016)
Royal Patron of The Coronet Theatre (2016-Present)

The Print Room at the Coronet is a small Theater and performance space in Notting Hill. Originally the theater had been located in a former print warehouse, before moving its current location. 

European School of Osteopathy

Royal Patron (April 2017 - Present)

The European School of Osteopathy is a school for osteopathic medicine at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Osteopathic medicine is a type of alternative medicine that emphasizes massage and other physical manipulation of muscle tissue and bones.

The school is working to ensure osteopathic care is available and affordable for the whole community.

Charity: Water

Patron (2017? - Present)

Charity: Water is a charity that works to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. They create sustainable projects that work for that specific community. This requires finding the right location and using technology that will work well there. They also work with local government and community leaders throughout the process. And provides education and training to help the local community maintain these wells.  

Both Princess Eugenie & Princess Beatrice are Patrons of Charity: Water according to The Duke of York's official website. Charity: Water has been unwilling to confirm that Princess Eugenie & Princess Beatrice are patrons. 

The Anti-Slavery Collective

Co-Founder (2017-Present)

The Anti-Slavery Collective is a group whose mission is to bring change-makers together to raise awareness about modern slavery. The Collective was founded by Princess Eugenie & Julia de Boinville in 2017. It became a registered charity in 2020. 

"We are two best friends who have carefully curated this platform to connect change-hungry abolitionists to unite, educate and activate."

The work to connect law enforcement agencies, policy makers, journalists, academics, NGO’s, companies, individuals, and survivors to collaborate and share ideas on how to fight human trafficking.

Tate's Youth Patrons

Royal Patron (May 2018-Present)

The Tate's Young Patrons program works to interest young people in visiting the art museum & getting them involved in the contemporary arts. The Young Patrons Ambassador Group meets four times a year to discuss the interests, strategy and events for the Young Patrons program. 

Also apart of the Tate's Young Patrons Ambassador Group is Princess Alia Al-Senussi.

Project Zero

Ambassador (June 2018 - Present)

The Project 0 Campaign is an international campaign to restore and protect the world's oceans. They work to fund projects that clean up the ocean, restore fisheries, rebuild coral reefs and mangrove forests, and protect the ocean 

Also an Ambassador for the Project 0 Campain: Princess Theodora von Liechtenstein (Cousin once-removed for Hereditary Prince Alois)

New Museum 

Ambassador for the Artemis Council (July 2018-Present)

 The New Museum, in New York City, USA is a contemporary art museum and one of the few worldwide that is exclusively devoted to presenting contemporary art from around the world.

Princess Eugenie is an ambassador for the  Artemis Council, which is “a by-invitation membership initiative focused solely on supporting female artists.”

Big Cat Sanctuary
Patron (2018? - Present)

The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England works to protect Big Cats from extinction. It works to breed endangered cats within the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme. And whenever possible return big cats to the wild. 

Horatio's Garden Charity

Patron (March 2019-present)

Horatio’s Garden Charity creates and maintains beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres.

Anti-Slavery International
Patron (October 2019-Present)

Anti-Slavery International is the world's oldest international human rights organization. It was founded by 1839. The organization works to eliminate all forms of slavery, and slavery like practices, throughout the world. It bases its work on the United Nations treaties against slavery.

Blue Marine Foundation

Ambassador (2021-present)

Blue Marine is a charity dedicated to restoring the ocean to health by addressing overfishing. 

Scoliosis Association UK

Patron (October 2020-Present)

Charity Number: 1181463

Scoliosis Association UK provides advice, support, and information to people affected by scoliosis and their families and raise awareness of scoliosis among health professionals and the general public.

Back to The York's - Main Page

Princess Beatrice - Patronages

York Theatre Royal
Malcolmxl5, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Big Change Charitable Trust
Founder (2012- Present)

Charity Number: 1145224

Beatrice co-founded Big Change in 2012, with friends. She has been a trustee of Big Change since May 2013.  Big Change raises funds and supports forward-thinking projects, ideas and people 
that help to build communities. 

York Musical Society
Patron (2012 -Present)

Charity Number: 504611

York Musical Society is a choral society in York. it is the oldest musical society in England, founded in 1765. 

Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity
Patron (2013-Present)

Charity Number (Scotland): SC020862

The Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity is a charity based in Scotland that support the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. The Hospital was open in 1895 by Beatrice's namesake, Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria.

The Charity works to make sure the patients and their families receive the best care and support possible through, comfortable and inviting facilities, accommodations for families, family support, staff training, art projects, etc. 

The Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity also gives grants to fund projects, equipment, and training at many other children’s healthcare locations throughout Scotland. (Previously called The Sick Kids Friends Foundation.)

Northwood African Education Foundation 
Patron  (2013-Present)

Northwood African Education Foundation is a charity run by Broomwood Hall School (Students Age 4-13) in London. The Foundation built and runs a school in Gondar, Ethiopia called St George’s School with the hopes to provide the underprivileged students in Ethiopia the same high standard of education Broomwood Hall School provides its students.

Theischarity was previously called Broomwood African Education Foundation.

Forget Me Not Children's Hospice 
Patron (2013-Present)

Charity Number: 1110457

Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice supports children with life-shortening conditions in West Yorkshire. The Charity has a state of the art Hospice, Russell House, in Huddersfield, and also provided home hospice services. The charity provides care and support for the children, both physically and mentally, emotionally and socially. Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice works to help each child live life to the fullest. 

They also provide support for their families, who are often overwhelmed providing their sick child's full-time care. 

Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre 
Patron (2013-Present)

Charity Number: 1064646

Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre provides support for people with Dyslexia as well as training & courses for student, parent and specialist teachers. The Centre also provides Dyslexia screening assessment and subsidized training for those unable to afford the normal fees.

At the age of 7, Beatrice was diagnosed with dyslexia and received help and support from the Centre throughout her secondary education.

York Theatre Royal
 Patron (2014-Present)

Charity Number: 229396

The York Theatre Royal is over 270 years old.  The theatre entertains over 200,000 people a year with a variety of performances, including its annual pantomime.

Berkshire Community Foundation
Patron (2014-Present)

Charity Number: 1155173

The Berkshire Community Foundation was founded in 1985 to help support the community in the Royal County of Berkshire. The Foundation provides grants for individuals, families, and companies in the community. Beatrice has close ties to the community as 2 schools she attended, Upton House School and St. George's School, are located in Berkshire.

English National Ballet School 
Patron (2015 - Present)

English National Ballet School is the official school of the English National Ballet. It is a world-renowned ballet training centre for young ballet dancers from around the world, age 16 to 19.  The school gives talented young dancers the opportunity to train regardless of a student's financial ability, though subsided tuition fees and scholarships. The school is in central London.  

Teenage Cancer Trust

Honorary Patron (2016 - Present)

Charity Number: 1062559 

The Teenage Cancer Trust is a UK based charity. The charity works to help provide life-changing care for teens with cancer. They have 28 specialty cancer units with expert staff in NHS hospitals. They also provide these teen and their families support. Teenage Cancer Trust helps fund a portfolio of cancer research and policy. 

Duchess Sarah and Princess Eugenie are also Honorary Patrons of the organization. 

Oscar's Book Prize

Judge (2016)

Royal Patron (2017- Present)

Oscar’s Book Prize is an annual award for the best book of the year for children under five. It is awarded in memory of Oscar Ashton, who passed away in 2012 at age 3 from an undetected heart condition. 

Charity: Water

Patron (2017? - Present)

Charity: Water is a charity that works to bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. They create sustainable projects that work for that specific community. This requires finding the right location and using technology that will work well there. They also work with local government and community leaders throughout the process. And provides education and training to help the local community maintain these wells.  

Both Princess Eugenie & Princess Beatrice are Patrons of Charity: Water according to The Duke of York's official website. Charity: Water has been unwilling to confirm that Princess Eugenie & Princess Beatrice are patrons. 

Outward Bound Trust
Trustee (2019 - Present) 

Charity Number (England & Wales): 1128090

Charity Number (Scotland): SC040341

The Outward Bound Trust is an educational charity that runs a number of outdoor learning courses to equip young people with valuable skills. The trust works to help young people become more confident, more effective and more capable at school, college and in the workplace.

Prince Andrew was Patron (March 2019-  November2019). He was previously Chairman of the Board of Trustees (1999-2019). Prince Philip was previously Patron (1953-2019).

Frank Family Foundation

Trustee (April 2019 - Present) 

Charity Number: 1114574

The Frank Family Foundation is a UK-based charity. They primarily work in Southeast Asia to make the world more healthy, educated, and meritocratic. Our primary area of focus is Southeast Asia. 

British Skin Foundation

Patron (Feb 2023-Present)

Charity Number: 1171373

The British Skin Foundation works to raise money for skin care research as well as raising awareness. It is the only UK Charity that fund research into all types of skin diseases, including skin cancer.

Back to Patronages - Main Page

Zara Tindall - Patronages

The Catwalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust
(New Zealand)
Patron  (2005-Present)

The Catwalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust is a New Zealand based charity that supports Spinal Cord Injury research. 

Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund
Patron (2007-present)

Mark Davies Injured Riders Fund is a charity that helps Equestrian riders at all level and disciplines after they have been injured. The charity was founded by the parents of Mark Davies, an event rider who died as a result of an accident at the Burghley Horse Trials in 1988. The charity also promotes rider safety. 

World Horse Welfare
Patron (2016?-Present)

World Horse Welfare is an international charity that works to improves the lives of horses through education, campaigning, and hands-on care.

Princess Anne has been President since 1994. 

Back to Princess Anne's Family - Main Page

Peter Phillips - Patronages

Peter Phillips has 2 Patronages that I know of and works full time as Managing Director of SEL UK.

Habitat for Humanity (Peterborough and Kawartha Region, Canada)
Joint Royal Patron (2016-Present)

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit that helps to build homes for low-income families. Peter is an ambassador for their Youth Build Program, which gets youth involved on building sites and in the fundraising process.

Peter's wife, Autumn, is also a Royal Patron of the charity. She is an ambassador for their Women Build Program. Autumn's father Brian Kelly, lives just outside Peterborough. He is the chairman of the board of directors for the Habitat for Humanity Peterborough and Kawartha Region.

West Island Palliative Care Residence (Canada)
Joint Royal Patron (2016-Present)

West Island Palliative Care Residence is Canada's largest freestanding palliative care facility. Peter's wife, Autumn, is also a Royal Patron of the charity. Autumn grew up in West Island.

Back to Princess Royal Family - Main Page 

Lady Louise & Viscount James (Wessex) - Patronages

Lady Louise & Viscount James do not have any Patronages. They are both Full-Time students.

We will update this in the future when any Patronage is announced.

Back to The Wessexs - Main Page

King Carl Gustaf's Speech on Stockholm Attack - English Translation

Dear Swedes and all those in Sweden,

Yesterday, while I was in Brazil, news of the terrible event in Stockholm reached me, so naturally I immediately returned home to Sweden.

I have just finished meeting with the National Police Commissioner and the head of the Swedish Secret Service. They have informed me and the royal family of the police work after yesterday's attack.

First and foremost, I want to express that the thoughts of the Royal family and I go out to the victims of this heinous act. To those who have been injured and killed.

We also think of their families and friends. We share in their grief and anxiety.

We are all shaken by what happened. But we have hope in seeing the care that people show each other. It demonstrates the power of our society.

There are more of us who want to help, than those who wish us harm. That knowledge gives me comfort and confidence.

The police, medical and rescue services have done an amazing job of minimizing the damage. Now it is important for them to continue working in peace and quiet.

We have experienced several violent incidents in the past. We have gotten through them, and will do so now.

Sweden is, has long been, and will continue to be a safe and peaceful country.

April Q&A (2017)

As always, post your Royal Questions & I will get to them as soon as possible.

Question 1: Which Royals do you think will attend Easter at Windsor Castle

Answer: Attendance at Windsor doesn't change too much each year, so I assume people celebrate Easter like usual.
Expected:

• Queen & Philip
• Prince Andrew 
• Princess Anne & Timothy
• Wessexs
• Queen's Lady in Waiting

Likely:

• Beatrice & Eugenie
• Peter & Autumn Philips

Not Expected:

• Charles & Camilla
• William & Kate
• Harry
• Zara & Mike Tindall 
• Kents
• Gloucesters

Question 2: I'm new to this writing to Royals thing but I love Charles and Camilla and I would love to send them a letter congratulating them on their European tour. Is there a proper way to do this? What should I include in my letter?

Answer: We explain everything you need to know about Writing to the Royals here. It's the best place to start. We give a lot of good advice and tell you some things that would be good to do. But there isn't 1 proper way. If you have more specific questions feel free to ask.

As for what you should include in your letter? That is up to you. Good letters have a point; they're are specific and personal.  So I would explicitly say that you are writing to congratulate them on their tour of Europe. I would mention some specific things from the tour that stood out to you. And why they were meaningful to you.  

Question 3: I wrote to Camilla in the beginning of February when she became a patron of the Battersea Dogs and Cats home, but I haven't received a reply yet. I'm obviously not expecting a personal reply, but I'm starting to get worried that my letter got lost in the mail.


Answer: 1-2 months is a normal response time. But it can take longer if they are busy. You've just hit the 2 months mark, but I wouldn't worry. Clarence House is good about answering all the letters they receive, but it takes time. The longest I've waited for a reply from Clarence House is 4 months. 

Question 4: Can you write in English to all current European royal families? 


Answer: You can write in English to all the Royal Families (in Europe, out of Europe, current monarchies, former monarchies, etc.) They all speak English and will have staff who speak English. English is the main language we use to communicate with people in other countries, which is something royals from current monarchies and their offices do all the time. 

I know for many of you, English is not your 1st Language. This is how I would rank your options:

1. English or one of the official languages of the country 
2. Other languages widely spoken in the country or languages the Royal speaks
3. If UK, languages widely spoken in the commonwealth
4. Other

I would try for a language in option 1.

If you really don't feel comfortable with options 1-3 and want to write in an "other language," I would make your letter bi-lingual. You can write your letter in your native language, say everything you want to say very eloquently, but then include, in English or one of the official languages, a rough translation. That way, if they have trouble translating your letter, they at least know the basic idea of what you are writing about. 

Question 5: Do you know an address to the Habsburgs? I know that they don't lead public lives since Otto's death, but I would like to send them a letter.


Answer: I did find this address from 2011 for where to send condolences for the death of Otto. 

Hindenburgstr. 15
D-82343 Pöcking
Germany

I'm not sure if it will still work. Google Maps has the address marked as a software company. So it's likely they had an office there, but sold it and moved. 


Question 6: Can I write to the Duchess of Cambridge to send my congratulations on the occasion of Pippa's wedding?

Answer: Sure, you can write for anything. There is nothing stopping you from writing a letter and sending it. The real question is will you get a reply. 

Clarence House is really good about answering letters. But if you write to Kate about something that not really about Kate, I'm not sure how they would respond. If you get a reply, it will likely just be a basic generic letter thanking you for your support. People don't normally send congratulations to the sister of the bride when a couple gets marries. So it is a little odd and awkward. It's kind of like, who are you really writing to Kate? or Pippa? And it isn't Clarence House's job to answer Pippa's mail.

Obviously, the Cambridges do realize that there is a lot of interest in their lives, and their family. And they are glad to hear that people are supporting them. And I'm sure their office will get mail about Pippa's wedding. So you can send a letter if you would like. I just don't know if you will get a reply.

What I would suggest is:
Make your letter about Kate or the Cambridges, then mention casually mention Pippa's wedding. Then it is something Clarence House can reply to because you're writing about the Cambridges.

If you are writing for Princess Charlotte's 2nd Birthday in May, which is a few weeks before the wedding, you could mention her being a bridesmaid in Pippa's wedding. And say something like "Please pass on my congratulations to Miss Middleton & Mr. Matthews on their upcoming wedding. I wish them all the best."

Or if you wanted to write after the wedding, there is Prince William's birthday is in June.

Question 7: Why doesn't Princess Beatrice attend the Maundy Thursday service with the Queen like she did that one time? Cause she wants to do official duties like William and Harry.  

Answer: Princess Beatrice attended the Maundy Thursday in 2012 because it was a special service. The service that year was at a church in York, so it made sense to have one of the Yorks there. They like to play up the whole idea of a royal being connected to the area their title comes from. If the Maundy Thursday service was in Cambridge, I'm sure the William and Kate would accompany the Queen & Phillip. But otherwise, the service is just usually attended by The Queen & Prince Philip. 

It was also the Queen's Dimond Jubilee year that year. So, the service had some extra special stuff to mark that. 

Question 8: Am I too early if I send out my Cambridge anniversary/Charlotte birthday letters before Easter?

Answer: No, you're good. You are a little early for Princess Charlotte's birthday, but not by much so you're fine.

We usually recommend:
 

Question 9: If I send a letter to Zara to Princess Anne's office, will it be answered?

Answer: I would expect not. Non-working royals don't normally answer mail. 


Question 10: When do you expect the Cambridge anniversary and the Charlotte birthday card will be released? Or do we have to wait and see what we get in the mail?

Answer: The Cambridges don't release what their card will be ahead of time. Nor do any of the British royals. You will just have to see what comes in the mail. 

They will almost definitely release a set of photos for Princess Charlotte's Birthday, and it is likely they will choose one of those cards for her birthday reply. 

It's very likely you won't get the usual photo card for the Cambridge's anniversary as the 6th anniversary isn't really a big event that people usually write for. 

The only time a royal might release a photo of their cards is for Christmas. But those are their personal Christmas card, not what they send to well-wishers. 

Question 11: What is the correct title for Duchess Sarah? Did she lose the HRH after the divorce or is she HRH Duchess of York? My question basically is that what should I write on the envelope and the "Dear ...," part. Thank you! 

Answer: When Sarah was married to Andrew her title was HRH The Duchess of York. Since the divorce, she has been Sarah, Duchess of York.

You have a lot of different options for the "Dear" line:

• Dear Duchess,
• Dear Sarah, Duchess of York,
• Dear Madam, 
• Dear Sarah,
• Dear Sarah Ferguson, 
• etc.

It would be incorrect to say:

• Dear Your Royal Highness,
• Dear Duchess of York,

Question 12: When will the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, or Prince Harry be visiting New Zealand again?

Answer: No upcoming royal visits to New Zealand have been announced for the Cambridges, Harry or any of the British Royals. But there was a rumor a few months ago Prince Harry would head to New Zealand, Australia and Singapore in June. So maybe you will get lucky! 


Question 13: Will you be writing for King Willem-Alexander's birthday? Do you think they'll send out photos this year (since it is his 50th)


Answer: I will be writing for King Willem-Alexander's Birthday. I need to get started on that. 

It's hard to predict what they will do for King Willem-Alexander's 50th Birthday reply. This is his first big birthday since becoming King. I've never gotten a photo from the Netherlands Royals. And given that their replies tend to be really simple, I would think it is likely they won't send a photo for his birthday. They don't always reply to mail, so it's obviously mail is not a priority for them. But they do tend to reply for Birthdays, so you will definitely get a reply for this. 

Question 14: Is there a polite way to let royal offices know that they misspelt my name? Both the office for the Duke of York and Clarence House misspelt my first name and it's bothering me a little. I always write crystal clear and now I even printed stickers with my name and address on them but I'm afraid that the damage is done.

Answer: I'm pretty sure the computer system where they store people's name and address is linked between the different royal offices, so once it gets in there wrong, the problem will continue. I know when they changed my address after I moved, they misspelled the name of my State. So it's wrong on all the envelopes now. I don't worry about it because it's just an extra "n" and the mail still gets to me. But they can change your name, they just need to realize they have it wrong in the system. Because once it's in their system they likely just assume it's right and never double check.

I would do something like this: at the bottom of your letter, where you type your name, write something like 

Sincerely,

(Signature)

Kellie (with an ie) Jones

That way it's a casual mention, this is how I spell my name. I've seen this with a number of people who have commonly misspelled names. The person then is thinking oh, I need to make sure I spell her name correctly. I better make sure it's in the system correct. They will see it is wrong and fix it. It may take 2 times, if people are busy and skim over the letter. 

Question 15: Is Queen Maxima HM or HRH? 

Answer: Queen Maxima is HM (Her Majesty). All of the currently reigning Queens or Queen Consorts, who use the title Queen, are HM. 

You only need to question their style when the monarch or spouse, uses Princess, or Grand Duchess.

Question 16: I wanted to ask if you know what studies private secretaries of for example Cambridges, Prince Harry or Prince of wales has completed? Was it maybe something connected with PR? And how about other countries Denmark or Sweden for example? 

Answer: 
To be a private secretary you can study anything you want. It doesn't really matter.  We've even seen people not go to University. There is also a lot of people who were in the military. 

Some of the things Private Secretaries for Europe's royals have studied:

• English 
• Communications 
• Economics
• War Studies 
• International Relations 
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Engineering 
• Physics
• Romance Philology
• Art History
• Business
• Accounting
• Applied Zoology with Mathematics
• Law
• Management
• Journalism
• History
• etc.

Question 17: Are we sure to get a reply for princess Charlottes birthday? I'm asking because they thanked everyone on Facebook and Instagram for their birthday wishes and I'm scared that we won't be getting a photo of her in the mail.

Answer: The Cambridges will still send out their usual photo card reply. Don't worry. 
They just wanted to make sure they thanked everyone for Princess Charlotte's Birthday Wishes. Most people only wished Princess Charlotte a happy birthday on Social Media, so they have to say thank you there. They have done this in the past. 

The Duke and Duchess thank everyone for all the lovely birthday messages they have received for Prince George. pic.twitter.com/DAX6RQmbg6

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) July 22, 2016

Happy Birthday Prince Harry! We've received lots of lovely messages for HRH's birthday - thank you! pic.twitter.com/HsnngJEyoN

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 15, 2016