Writing to Royals

A new reply from one of our newest royals!

Prince Charles of Luxembourg is the son of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie. After his father, he will be Grande Duke of Luxembourg.

And this little cutie just turned one!

Luxembourg replies can be really nice, especially from Guillaume and Stephanie. Their Christmas cards are always A+. This card is a heavy card stock, with everything printed directly on the paper. With the picture printed directly on the card stock, it sometimes leads to the quality not being as good as a regular photograph. In this case, I think the picture is still pretty good and I can see Charles clearly. This photo was part of the set released for his birthday.

Charles has been one busy baby, accompanying his parents on several engagements this past year. I like that we get to see him and his parents share several photographs of him. I think he's one of the cutest babies I've ever seen.

Of course with this being his first birthday the reply would be special, so I'm unsure if we'll continue to get pictures with his birthday replies. Time will tell.

The message on the card is printed in Luxembourgish (top) and French (bottom), two of the official languages of Luxembourg. I recently read an article about how Luxembourgish is actually dying out and there aren't as many speakers of it anymore. So it's interesting to see they've included it in this reply (since most of theirs are either French, German, or English). It's very similar to German and thats even what I thought it was at first.

The message says:

We thank you wholeheartedly for the expressions of kindess you have shown on the occasion of the first birthday of our son, Prince Charles

This reply was a real treat. I was really hoping William and Kate would do something special for their tenth anniversary reply. I wasn't expecting a full card or anything out of the ordinary, but a special portrait or picture would be grand. And hey! We got it!

As many of you probably know, this picture was not part of the set released for their anniversary to the public originally. I really love when the British royals keep an extra picture exclusively for their replies. It makes it that much more exciting to receive it and special to those of us that follow them. Although not released to the public originally, it was obviously taken at the same time as the other photos.

Speaking of, I absolutely adored the photos shared. Kate looks stunning in all of them and the two matching in blue is adorable. I wish we would find out the significance of why William, in particular, is a fan of blue and then how it sorts of bleeds into the wardrobe of the rest of the family. Maybe it's just his favorite color. But it's funny to me how often it appears within the family.

As you may recall, we've had quite the transition when it comes to photo quality of the British replies. First photos were shiny, then matte, then back to shiny. For this one, they seem to have struck a balance. It's not matte, but it doesn't have near the glare we used to get from the shiny replies. At least I don't think so anyway. I had no trouble getting a usable photograph of the reply. I really like this finish and hope it stays this way.

A rather somber occasion to post about. I, personally, was hurt deeply by the news, as I know several royal watchers were. Even though we hadn't seen Prince Philip out and about a lot, we still always knew he was there. He's an institution like his wife and it's hard to believe he's gone.

This reply is from the Queen, the only member of the royal family I wrote to. Had I had more time, I probably would have written to Charles as well (and possibly Anne), but the main person I was concerned about was the Queen.

The card is tall and skinny, similar to past "special occasion" cards from the Queen. I really love this one. I think it's a classy, sophisticated tribute to Prince Philip but very simple, which is what he probably wanted.

The black edging is, of course, to signify mourning. The front features a symbol of Prince Philip. Unfortunately I'm not an expert in crests or insignias and the like, so I'm unfamiliar with the correct term for this and I don't know much about it. However, I do know on the inside is the Queen's coat of arms, in black. This coat of arms is also printed on the back of the envelope (sorry about the tear)

This card arrived some time ago, but I just found it shuffled away with some more papers in our apartment. I’m not sure what happened, but somehow it was pushed aside and I just found it. 

Every year the Christmas card of Albert and Paola changes a little bit. This year they made one of the biggest changes, which is not including a photo. Every Christmas reply I’ve gotten features some kind of photo of the couple. There’s no way of knowing why they decided to forgo the photo this year. 

I do like the nice touch of holly in the corners. It adds the Christmas touch to an otherwise more normal card. This is also the first year the message is exclusively in French. Usually it’s in French, Dutch, German, and Italian. I currently live in the Flemish region of Belgium, but, of course, wrote my card in English. I assume that’s why I received a French reply and if I had written in Flemish (Dutch), I would have received that reply. 

The message reads

Their majesties King Albert II and Queen Paola were extremely touched by the kind wishes you conveyed to them on the occasion of the end of the year celebrations and thank you wholeheartedly. May 2021 bring you joy, serenity, and happy moments to share. Take care of you and yours

Unfortunately, like I previously stated, I have no idea when I received this. The postmark is from December, so it’s likely it arrived early January. 

Card sent: December 15, 2020

This ended up being one of my most anticipated Christmas cards for 2020, and I think several people shared in my sentiment. 

Part of this is due to the fact that usually British Christmas cards are more candid shots from engagements or tours and this becomes more difficult when there are children to be included. So every year I’m anxiously awaiting to see what photo they choose. This year was even more of a challenge, since there was a severe lack of public engagements due to Covid. 

Also with the pandemic going on, royal mail has been slow in responding. I haven’t seen any cards from the Cambridges’ yet and it’s late February. So we were all anxious to see what photo they chose.

This is my sixth year writing to the family for Christmas, plus the past responses I’ve seen. This is the first year I can remember where they’ve used a new family portrait. 

This photo was released in December on their social media as their Christmas card. Usually, these photos released are exclusively used in their private cards (to friends/family/organizations they work with). So it’s fascinating and a bit unprecedented (I hate that word, but it fits) that they sent it to general well-wishers. 

I was very surprised. I thought perhaps they would use the photo from last year they sent privately. But I am so happy they decided to use this photo. Especially since Louis is at that age that they change so fast. And I always prefer posed shots to candid. 

This photo is so cute. I love Louis’ little laugh/smile and Charlotte’s sweater! They’re such a cute, happy family! 

The message is generally the same every year. I appreciate they include the children’s names and I wish more royal families did that. 

Recently, Clarence House has gone through some updates on their replies. If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you are likely familiar with the saga I have regarding the matte/glossy finishes. But to briefly catch you up, originally the replies were a glossy finish, similar to a post card. They transitioned sometime in 2018 I believe to a matte finish on the photos. Then it became a mixed bag of both and no one knew what they’d receive. Charles and Camilla’s Christmas card was a matte finish this year. The Cambridge card is a glossy finish, but, to me, it doesn’t seem as glossy as it used to be. There isn’t as much shine when I hold it under a light. It could be just me forgetting past replies. I can’t say if I have a preference between glossy and matte. It seems I just get used to one finish, when a new card comes with the old finish. 

I don’t think this will be a trend going forward. I think once things settle down and Covid is under control, they’ll go back to using photos from events (such as Trooping). But hopefully if they don’t have any usable photos in the future, they won’t be afraid to use the portrait again. 

Truly a spectacular card I’m excited to have!

Card Sent On: December 15, 2020

The next Christmas card that has arrived is from King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima. 

WA and Maxima always send out cards supporting Unicef each year. You can usually purchase packs of cards from the organization, as I’ve also done in the past. They’ve sent out the same design for years, usually resulting in receiving the same card eventually if you wrote several times. 

But a couple years ago we finally started spotting some people receiving new designs. I was lucky last year to receive a new design that I absolutely loved. It was very colorful and something I liked a bit better than the previous pictures. Most people received the new design last year and we were really starting to think it would be the new staple. Unfortunately that isn’t the case. 

I’m lucky I haven’t received this particular card before (although two years in a row I had the same picture), although it goes back to the old set. It’s a dark kind of scene, made to look like an oil painting. Not very Christmas-y if you ask me. I think they either hadn’t used up all the old set (or found more) or repurchased the old set. I’m curious to see what other royal writers receive when they start getting theirs. 

On the inside the message is printed in English and Dutch. The first year I ever wrote, the messages were all in Dutch. After that it was only in English and last year it was both. I like when countries include their language. The message never changes and is always on behalf of the whole family. So if you also wrote to Queen Beatrix or another member, you will only get this card. 

Card Sent On: December 15, 2020

Another Christmas card has arrived, this time from Luxembourg! 

Guillaume and Stephanie always send really nice cards and they’re definitely in my list of favorites and royals I will write to every year. 

When I first wrote to them, they used a generic card, actually similar to that the Netherlands uses. But for the past few years they’ve been sending out handmade cards made by people at the Autism Foundation in Luxembourg. Every year is a different card, but you can always tell it’s handmade from the texture and little imperfections, which I absolutely love. 

This year’s card features the Jesus in a manger scene, with the words “Happy Holidays” underneath in Luxembourgish. 

For the first time, the card inside is in French. All of the past year’s I’ve written, the card was in English. French is one of Luxembourg’s official languages. I would think they’d print out more English cards than any other language and I haven’t seen any other responses yet to see if anyone else received a French version. I was suspicious that maybe since I live in Belgium (another country with French as an official language), they sent me this version. But my card was in English, so it’s a mystery. 

Guillaume and Stephanie are the only Luxembourg royals I wrote to this year. However, that was also the case last year but they also sent me response from Henri and MT, and Louis. So maybe more will be coming. 

I also look forward to seeing what stamps come with my envelope, since Luxembourg uses real ones. I couldn’t find much information about these two. They are both connected to World War II and say “Luxembourg Remembers.” Since the date on the stamps signify the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, they’re probably commemorating that. But since that was 5 years ago, I’m not sure why it’s still being used. Although this tends to happen in Luxembourg. I’ve had stamps for occasions long passed before. 

Card Sent On: December 15, 2020

The second of the holy trinity has arrived! 

I always look forward to Belgium’s replies, mostly to see which photo they choose because it’s always such a nice one. This one was also released on social media this year, something that they haven’t always done in the past. 

The front is the same as every year, with Philippe and Mathilde’s monogram entwined. 

I’m not sure when this photo was taken. Usually they use one from a previous event or set. I have to say this one may be one of my most favorite photographs they’ve used. The Belgian Royal Family is turning out to be quite the good-looking group. I particularly like the color coordination here. Very chic. 

As usual the message is written in the three official languages; Dutch, French, and German, plus the addition of English. The signatures are printed on and the children are listed in order. 

Something I’ve never noticed until this year is that date at the bottom is always one year ahead. Personally, I think it should say 2020 since that’s the year the cards were sent and received and we’re referring to Christmas of 2020. They’ve done this for all years past (so last year, 2019, it was 2020 at the bottom). I find this peculiar, as I believe other royals either use the year it’s sent (in this case, 2020) or they specifically say “happy new year 2021″ which also makes sense. 

A very nice card, indeed, and one I’m so happy to have. 

Card sent: December 15, 2020

Look at this adorable reply from Charles and Camilla!

I was very excited to see the photos the British royals would pick sine they usually use candid shots and there hasn’t been a lot of public engagements this year.

This photo is actually from their anniversary in April. A little fun tidbit is that this is also the location they took their engagement photos (literally, that exact spot!). It’s in Scotland where the couple also quarantined. It’s always funny to me when they pick a photo from another occasion they didn’t use for that occasion. For their anniversary replies they sent out a different photo (I didn’t write, so I don’t have the reply). 

I’m glad they did end up using this photo because it’s adorable. Camilla’s two pups even make an appearance! Despite being taken in April, it feels Christmas-y to me. 

The photo is a matte finish again, something Clarence House seems to go back and forth on. Last year’s replies are still at my parents’ house, so I’m unsure what the finish was last year. 

The message is extremely similar to last year’s, with only a small tweak and overall it’s very standard. 

On a personal note, this is the first year since I started writing that I didn’t receive the Cambridge reply first. Oddly enough, even if I sent them all at the same time, I always received replies in the same order; Cambridge, Charles&Camilla, Harry. It’s funny the chain is finally broken, although it would have been since I didn’t write to Harry and Meghan this year. 

Card Sent on: December 15, 2020

Today is kind of a throw-back. I actually received this back in May after the King’s birthday in April but I was taking a bit of a break from the blog and forgot to post it. 

I was so excited to see a special card for Philippe’s 60th. Belgium’s run-of-the-mill regular cards can sometimes be plain but I have to hand it to them when it comes to big occasions. They really know how to pull it out and please. 

The front has Philippe’s monogram (F for his name in Dutch, P for his name in French) in a nice deep purple. It’s embossed so it’s fun to run your finger over and feel the texture. 

I had written to Philippe in English and received a French card in return. Those writing in Flemish would have received a Dutch card. The rest of us usually receive French cards, as that’s a more widely spoken language than Dutch. I also wrote from Brussels, a primarily French speaking city. Next time I write I’m going to have my boyfriend (a native Flemish speaker) help me to write a card in Dutch and maybe I’ll get a reply in Dutch. 

This was in the midst of Corona and the messages highlights that heavily. The message reads

I thank you very much for the wishes you have sent me so kindly on my 60th birthday. We are going through an unprecedented crisis. Together, we will get through it.  I wish you a lot of courage and patience in these moments of difficulty.

I think it was really nice (and smart) to mention the Corona crises. People writing to the King for his birthday obviously admire and respect him so it was a good idea to highlight unity in the face of the crises. I have to say, Belgian’s royals handled Corona extremely well as far as bringing the country together and showing a united front. 

The picture is a new portrait of the King. I really like it. It’s very no-nonsense, no frills, just the King. 

Card Sent: April 23, 2020

Reply Received on: May 13, 2020

Full card

The first Christmas card of 2020 has arrived! Albert and Charlene are always one of the first cards I receive, probably due to them not getting much mail. This is one of my favorite cards ever year and part of what I call my Holy Trinity. What’s particularly special for me is I started writing the year the twins turned one and the first year they were featured on the family Christmas card. I’ve written every year since and it’s been really lovely to watch the twins grow. 

First let’s talk about the envelope. As they’ve done in years past, the envelope includes a slight shimmer/sparkle similar to the card. What’s really nice is the shimmer is ingrained in the paper, so your hands aren’t glittery after handling it and it doesn’t go all over the place.  Here is my best attempt at capturing it:

Monaco also uses real stamps that are usually very nice. As usual they have a Christmas stamp that was standard to put on mail during the holidays. In addition, mine also features a painting by Renoir, “Baigneuse's arrangements les cheveux.” I thought in an interesting choice since Renoir is not from Monaco, but from what I could gather, this painting belongs to the Palace’s Collection and goes along with the theme “nude in art.” Unfortunately I can’t find any more info about it, so I assume it’s some kind of art exhibition in Monaco. 

Anyway, moving on to the actual card. 

Monaco seems to alternate now between the whole family and just the kids. Personally I prefer the whole family. Everyone looks absolutely stunning in this photograph and I love Gabriella’s outfit. The background is also one of my favorites. 

Inside is a message printed in Monegasque, French, and English. The message always changes and I like that it’s not just the basic “merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” There’s always a little fluff and it feels more personal and warm. It’s nice to see them mix it up. 

One thing missing from years past is the watercolor-esque portrait on the inside of the card. It seems whenever it’s just the children on front, they feature the previous year’s family portrait on the inside in this weird way that reminds me of an unfinished watercolor painting. You can find what I’m talking about here. I suppose this is to remind you of what Albert and Charlene look like, but it seems useless and, especially if you have the previous year’s card, redundant. I’m always happy the years it’s the whole family.

I’m looking forward to the other cards to come in and can’t wait to share them!

Card sent on: December 15, 2020