Greeting Card Etiquette For A Royal Wedding

If you're thinking of sending a greeting card to the royal wedding, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, it's important to note that wedding anniversary messages from the King are only sent to current citizens of His Majesty's Realms or UK Overseas Territories. If you fall under this category, you can apply for a message to be sent to those celebrating their diamond wedding (60th) anniversary, 70th anniversary, and every year thereafter. Applications should be made through the Anniversaries Office, and cards will be sent via Royal Mail. Additionally, if the person you're sending the card to is a British national and receives a State Pension or other benefit while living in the UK, you won't need to apply for a birthday message. This will be sent automatically using their State Pension or benefit record. So, depending on your circumstances, sending a greeting card to the royal wedding may be possible, but be sure to check the official guidelines before proceeding.

How to apply for a royal wedding anniversary message

If you are celebrating a significant wedding anniversary, you can apply to receive a personalised congratulatory card from the King. This tradition dates back to 1917 when King George V sent congratulatory messages to those celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary (60 years).

Who is Eligible?

Only current citizens of His Majesty's Realms (countries where the King is Head of State) or UK Overseas Territories are eligible to receive messages. You can check the official website for a comprehensive list of eligible countries.

Applications must be made through the Anniversaries Office at Buckingham Palace. You can apply by filling out an online form or by downloading and submitting a form via post. The Anniversaries Office can be contacted via telephone on 02079304832.

The Anniversaries Office accepts applications no sooner than 5 weeks before the anniversary date. Applications for wedding anniversaries are not arranged automatically, so it is necessary to submit an application for a card to be sent.

You will need to provide proof of the marriage with a copy of the marriage certificate. If you cannot supply this, you must contact the appropriate General Register Office, who can search for the marriage details and confirm them directly with the Anniversaries Office.

Cards are sent to those celebrating their diamond wedding (60th), 65th, and 70th wedding anniversaries and every year thereafter. The congratulatory messages consist of a card containing a personalised message and are sent via Royal Mail.

Who is eligible for a royal wedding anniversary message

Only current citizens of His Majesty's Realms (countries where the King is Head of State) or UK Overseas Territories are eligible to receive messages. This includes the following countries:

• St. Christopher and Nevis
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• British Antarctic Territory
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• British Virgin Islands
• Pitcairn Group of Islands
• St. Helena and its dependencies
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus (air bases)
• Turks and Caicos Islands

Additionally, residents of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand may be eligible to receive a message from the King's representative, the Governor-General.

To be eligible for a wedding anniversary message, couples must be celebrating their diamond (60th), 65th, or platinum (70th) wedding anniversary or any anniversary thereafter. Applications for a message must be made through the Anniversaries Office at Buckingham Palace. It is not possible to arrange a message for an anniversary that took place more than six months ago, but it may be possible to arrange a message for the following year.

How to apply for a belated royal wedding anniversary message

To apply for a belated royal wedding anniversary message, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must be a current citizen of a Commonwealth realm (where the King is Head of State) or a UK Overseas Territory. A comprehensive list of eligible countries can be found on the Royal Family website.
• Your wedding must have taken place in Scotland, and you must still live in the UK.
• You must be celebrating your diamond (60th), 65th, or platinum (70th) wedding anniversary or higher.

If you meet these requirements, you can apply for a belated royal wedding anniversary message by downloading and filling out the application form provided on the Royal Family website. Alternatively, you can apply online. Please note that applications are not accepted any sooner than five weeks before the anniversary date. If your anniversary has already passed, you can still receive a belated message up to six months after the event.

How to apply for a royal wedding anniversary message from outside the UK

To apply for a royal wedding anniversary message from outside the UK, you must be a current citizen of a Commonwealth realm or UK Overseas Territory. If you are a resident of Australia, Canada, or New Zealand, you must apply directly to the Governor-General, who is the King's representative in these countries. Contact details for the Governor-General in each country can be found on the official website.

If you are not a resident of Australia, Canada, or New Zealand, you can apply for a royal wedding anniversary message by filling out an application form online or by post. The application form can be downloaded from the official website. You will need to provide a copy of the couple's marriage certificate when applying. Applications are not accepted any sooner than 5 weeks before the anniversary date. It is possible to request a belated message up to 6 months after the anniversary has passed.

How to apply for a royal wedding anniversary message without a marriage certificate

To apply for a royal wedding anniversary message without a marriage certificate, you must meet the following criteria:

• The marriage must have taken place in Scotland.
• The couple must be resident in the UK.
• It must be less than three weeks before the event.

If you answered yes to all three questions, you can apply online through the National Records of Scotland (NRS) website without a copy of the marriage certificate. An automatic acknowledgment email will be sent to your inbox. If you do not receive it, check your spam filter and then contact the NRS. They will verify the details using their records and pass the information to the Anniversaries Office at Buckingham Palace, who will confirm that the Royal Anniversary Message will be delivered.

Alternatively, if you answered no to any of the above questions, you can visit the Buckingham Palace website or contact the Anniversaries Office at Buckingham Palace on 020 7930 4832.

Frequently asked questions