Queen Elizabeth II will continue her longtime tradition of personally signing her name on hundreds of Christmas cards that she sends to her palace staff and friends. Despite her age, royal experts said the Queen would never let anybody do this for her.
According to Dickie Arbiter, the Queen's former press officer, the 93-year-old monarch always makes sure that she acknowledges the work that had done during the year by her household staff. Every year, she sends a Christmas and thank you card to them and she personally signs them. He added that Queen also makes sure that the cards for the staff would be sent first before those for her friends.
Appearing on documentary Sandringham: The Queen at Christmas, Arbiter said over the years, Prince Philip has joined his wife in her end-of-the-year tradition. The Duke of Edinburgh also personally sign his name on each card.
"There's no stenciling or faxing or anything like that, and the card count runs into hundreds... every card is signed by both of them," he revealed.
Several of these personally-signed Christmas cards end up in an auction in Cambridgeshire recently. The cards, which were sent to a married couple who worked at Balmoral, reportedly fetch between $130 and $200 per card.
One item in the collection is a signed 1947 Christmas card from King George VI and the Queen Mother. It featured a photo of the King and Queen along with young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Though her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth already took some of the King's royal duties, including the signing of the 1951 Christmas card.
Meanwhile, sending Christmas cards is only one of the many holiday traditions that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have been doing for decades. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh also work together on the Christmas decorations at Sandringham. They set up a Christmas tree, and when their grandchildren and great-grandchildren arrive, they can put their decorations on.
Prince Philip is already in Norfolk. The Queen usually leaves for her private estate between December 15 to 20. However, due to the upcoming elections on December 12, Her Majesty is expected to wait for the result of the elections before she retreats for the holidays.
In addition, in time for the holidays, the Queen has also shared this week a throwback video of her first-ever televised Christmas message in 1957. The Queen's grandfather, King George V, broadcast the first Christmas message in 1932 via radio. Elizabeth is the first to do it live on television.
