There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about sending a Christmas card through the post. And if you’re looking for a particularly memorable name to add to your Christmas card list this year, you can actually send one to the British Royal Family.
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Yes, really.
The Royal Household publishes official mailing addresses for The King, The Queen, The Prince and Princess of Wales, and several other members of the Royal Family. So with a card, an international stamp, and a little planning, your holiday greeting can make its way from your kitchen table all the way to a royal palace.
Where to Send a Christmas Card to The King and Queen
According to the Royal Family’s official website, correspondence for The King and Queen can be sent to Buckingham Palace. The Palace says The King is shown almost all of his correspondence on a daily basis by one of his Private Secretaries and takes an interest in the letters he receives.
Address your Christmas card:
THE KING AND QUEEN
BUCKINGHAM PALACE
LONDON SW1A 1AA
UNITED KINGDOM
If you are writing specifically to King Charles III, the Royal Household gives the addressee as His Majesty The King.
You don’t need to know a secret palace department, room number, or member of staff. Buckingham Palace and its famous SW1A 1AA postcode are enough.
What About William and Catherine?
You can also send Christmas greetings to The Prince and Princess of Wales. Their official correspondence address is Kensington Palace.
Address the envelope:
THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES
KENSINGTON PALACE
LONDON W8 4PX
UNITED KINGDOM
The Royal Family’s contact page also lists correspondence information for several other working members of the Royal Family, including The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and The Princess Royal.
Before mailing, it’s always a good idea to check the Royal Family’s official contact page for the most current address information.
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What Should You Write Inside?
A Christmas card doesn’t need to sound like a proclamation from Parliament. In fact, the Royal Household says that while there is a traditional formal way to write to The King, using it is not obligatory. People are welcome to write in whatever style feels comfortable.
For a Christmas card, something simple and sincere is perfect:
Your Majesties,
Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Sending warm holiday wishes from our family in the United States.
With best wishes,
Your First Name and family
Or make it slightly more personal:
Your Majesties,
Christmas cards are one of my favorite traditions, and I couldn’t resist sending one across the Atlantic this year. Wishing you, your family, and everyone at the Royal Household a joyful Christmas and a happy New Year.
You don’t need an elaborate formal closing. A normal, warm Christmas-card sign-off is perfectly appropriate.
How Long Does a Christmas Card Take to Reach England From the U.S.?
For a standard Christmas card sent from the United States to England using USPS First-Class Mail International, a practical average is about one to two weeks.
International First-Class Mail does not come with a guaranteed delivery date, however, so your card can occasionally take longer. Holiday mail volume in November and December can also add extra time.
Once a card reaches Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace, it still needs to pass through the Royal Household’s correspondence system, so it is worth allowing a little more time than you would for an ordinary Christmas card.
If you want your card to arrive comfortably before Christmas, aim to mail it around:
November 20–30: Ideal
December 1–5: Still a reasonable window
After December 10: It may not arrive or be processed before Christmas
If you’re mailing from the western United States, sending your card by December 1 is an easy date to remember.
How Much Postage Do You Need From the United States?
A standard letter or Christmas card weighing up to one ounce can generally be mailed internationally using a Global Forever stamp.
If your card is unusually thick, oversized, square, rigid, or weighs more than one ounce, take it to the post office and have it weighed so you know you have the correct postage.
And resist the temptation to tuck a little present inside. The Royal Household advises against sending unsolicited gifts to members of the Royal Family for security reasons. Keep your royal Christmas mail to a card or letter.
Don’t Forget “UNITED KINGDOM”
When mailing internationally from the United States, place the destination country on its own line at the very bottom of the address:
UNITED KINGDOM
Writing it clearly in capital letters helps postal workers quickly identify it as international mail.
You should also include your complete U.S. return address in the upper-left corner of the envelope.
Will the Royal Family Send a Card Back?
Think of sending your card as the experience itself rather than as a guaranteed exchange.
The Royal Household receives a tremendous volume of correspondence, particularly around Christmas, and its official guidance does not promise a response to holiday greetings.
That said, the Palace does maintain a correspondence operation for letters from members of the public. If you happen to receive a response from the Royal Household, consider it a particularly lovely piece of mail to save.
Make It a Christmas Tradition
You could make sending a royal Christmas card into a yearly ritual with children, friends, or family.
Choose a beautiful card, sit down together, write a few heartfelt sentences, carefully address the envelope to Buckingham Palace or Kensington Palace, add international postage, and walk it to the mailbox.
You could even photograph the card before sending it or keep a little record each year of where you mailed your Christmas greetings.
In a season increasingly filled with texts, emails, and digital messages, there is something delightful about sending an actual piece of paper thousands of miles across the Atlantic.
And isn’t that part of the magic of Christmas mail?
This year, your Christmas-card list could include grandparents, old friends, neighbors… and Buckingham Palace.
For the latest mailing addresses and Royal Household correspondence information, visit the official Royal Family website at Royal.uk/contact.
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