The King and the Queen Consort sent out their first round of birthday and anniversary cards, keeping up tradition.
Taking on some iconic royal duties! King Charles III carried on a longstanding tradition of sending out special royal birthday cards to centenarians hitting milestones.
Kensington Palace share a photo of a Yorkshire woman holding up one of the cards -- which features a photo of King Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, on the front.
"The very first birthday cards from The King and The Queen Consort have been delivered to hundreds of people celebrating their 100th and 105th birthdays across the United Kingdom," the Palace shared.
"Several veterans of the Second World War are recipients of the first birthday cards from Their Majesties, including Glaswegian born Ruth Park-Pearson, who served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (the WRENS) and now lives in North Yorkshire," the post shared, introducing the woman in the photo. "Ruth celebrated her birthday on Friday, surrounded by many of her 6 children, 13 grandchildren and 25 [great] grandchildren."
"The posting of messages to mark significant birthdays and anniversaries is a tradition that dates back to 1917 and the reign of King George V, when those celebrating their 100th birthday or 60th wedding anniversary were sent a telegram of good wishes from His Majesty," the Palace shared. "Today, thousands of birthday and wedding anniversary cards are sent from Buckingham Palace every year to those celebrating their 100th and 105th birthday and every year thereafter, and to those celebrating their 60th , 65th, 70th wedding anniversaries and every year thereafter."
According to the Instagram post, over 1.3 million cards were sent out to commemorate birthdays and wedding anniversaries to citizens "across the U.K., the Realms and the Overseas Territories." Additionally, the Palace revealed, "The photograph of The King and The Queen Consort that appears on the birthday cards was taken in the summer of 2018."
Though the king ascended the British royal throne after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last month, his official coronation date has just been set.
The coronation will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London, England, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
According to the press release from Buckingham Palace, the coronation "will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."
A source close to King Charles III tells ET that the coronation ceremony “will be shorter and simpler than 1953 but absolutely still on a scale and spectacle befitting of sovereignty, history and tradition."
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