King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla send out first set of milestone birthday cards

Ageing can be a bittersweet experience, however, a batch of birthday celebrants got a truly special delivery in the mail this week, as King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla sent out their first set of birthday cards to UK residents who are celebrating their 100th and 105th birthday.

According to Buckingham Palace, thousands of birthday cards have been sent out to residents celebrating their centenarian birthday and to couples marking their 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries.

✉️ The first birthday cards from The King and The Queen Consort have been delivered to those celebrating their 100th and 105th birthdays across the UK.

World War Two veteran Ruth Park-Pearson, who turned 100 on Friday, was one of the first to receive a card from Their Majesties:

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 23, 2022

Many recipients of the birthday cards were World War II veterans who had served under the late Queen’s father, King George VI, then lived through Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign and have now seen her firstborn son, Charles, ascend to the throne.

One of the first recipients of the royal birthday card was Ruth Park-Pearson, who had served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRENS).

Park-Pearson, who celebrated her 100th birthday on Friday, October 21, with her 6 children, 13 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren, told ITV she was delightedly surprised to have received the card in the mail.

“I was like ‘my goodness me’,” she said.

“It’s lovely because it’s got a lovely gold cord through it with a tassel on the end.

“It really is a lovely card; I shall keep it very prominent so everyone can see it.”

The new milestone card features a photo that was taken in the summer of 2018, showing the royal couple smiling widely.

Inside, the signed card reads: “My wife and I are so pleased to know that you celebrated your one hundredth birthday on 21st of October 2022.”

“This brings our warmest congratulations and heartfelt good wishes on such a special occasion.”

The posting of birthday cards has been a Royal Family tradition dating back to 1917 when King George V would send well-wishes to his subjects via telegram.

The birthday cards are just one of the few iconic and longstanding traditions Charles has continued to carry out.

Earlier this month Buckingham Palace released images of King Charles III’s cypher.

The monogram will begin to replace the Queen’s on all state documents, government buildings, and some post boxes.

In addition to the new cypher, coins, banknotes and stamps have begun the transition from the Queen’s face to the King’s.

The transition started last month, after the mourning for Queen Elizabeth II reached its conclusion, with the Royal Mint delighting royal watchers with the reveal of the official effigy of King Charles III that will appear on coins following His Majesty’s official ascension to the throne.