Writing to the Royal Family
Only close personal friends would write to a member of the royal family direct. All other correspondents should write to the private secretary, the equerry or to the lady in waiting.
These letters should not be addressed to the holders of these appointments by name, although any subsequent correspondence should be sent to the actual writer of the reply.
When writing to The Queen please refer to Communicating with The Queen.
How to Write to the Private Secretary
| Commence letter | Dear Sir |
| End letter | Yours faithfully |
| First reference to member of royal family | Write in full, eg 'His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales', subsequently, eg, 'The Prince' |
| Substitute | 'His/Her Royal Highness' for 'he/she' and 'His/Her Royal Highness's' for 'his/her'. |
| Alternate | The above with with 'The Prince/The Princess/ The Duke/The Duchess', as applicable, to avoid repetition of HRH. |
| Envelopes | The Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT, OM, GBE* Buckingham Palace London SW1A 1AA |
For correct postnominal letters for members of the royal family refer to Royal Biographies
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