King Charles’ Christmas Card Backfires and Fans Discover the Royals Write Back

Royal fans grumble over the King’s 2025 Christmas card, complaining that a photo taken in the spring “doesn’t feel Christmassy.” Meanwhile, supporters are delighted to learn they can send cards to the Royal Family — and often receive one in return. William and Harry may both attend the 2026 World Cup in the United States as the next transatlantic royal showdown brews. William joins Kate’s cold-water swimming routine, admitting he “does a lot of yelling” during plunges. Visitors to Windsor Great Park face a frustrating new detour around the Waleses’ home. And officials explain why renaming streets linked to Prince Andrew is far more complex than it sounds — even as his old St Andrews golf course gets a clean rebrand.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calorogus Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intry game
you host Mark Francis. Royal fans have voiced frustration over
King Charles the Third's official Christmas card for twenty twenty five,
with some saying it doesn't feel very Christmasy and questioning

(00:23):
why the Royal household selected a photograph clearly taken in
the spring. The King and Queen shared the card, featuring
an image from their twentieth wedding anniversary celebrations in Rome
last April. The photograph shows their Majesty's arm in arm
in the gardens of Villa Wolkonski, the British Ambassador's residence,
and the Italian capital. While many have praised the picture itself,

(00:47):
the backdrop of blooming flowers and lush green trees has
led to questions about its suitability for a festive greeting.
The card carries the traditional message wishing you a very
happy Christmas in New Year, the King standing on the
left dressed in a dark blue suit with a gray tie,
while the Queen wears a white and beige coat dress.
This marks there fourth at Christmas card since Charles became monarch.

(01:10):
The image was captured by a royal photographer, Chris Jackson,
during the couple's state visit to Italy, and was also
used to commemorate their anniversary. Reaction online has been pointed.
One social media user wrote, beautiful pick, but it doesn't
fill Christmas. Might I suggest a lovely pick from Windsor
or Sandringham when the Christmas lights are lit, or even
taken up front of the Saint George's chapel. Another quipped, oh,

(01:34):
held delightfully festive a springtime photo from April and Rome
with some fairy lights slapped on it truly captures the
Christmas spirit. A further critic simply stated, doesn't look like
Christmas to me, while another commented least Christmas feel ever.
Come on, Your marketing team can do better than this, surely.
On Instagram, one user added, admittedly it would have looked

(01:54):
more festive for the Christmas seasonal decoration around the photo,
just on a corner. If you are still working through
the final names on your own Christmas card list, it
appears there is one group of recipients. Many people had
not realized they could write to the Royal family themselves,
and as many fans have now discovered, a card sent
to a royal residence is often answered with one of

(02:16):
the family's owned Christmas cards in return. One mother recently
took to Instagram to reveal just how meaningful it is
to receive a royal reply. In the post, she said
the arrival of a Christmas card from a real life
princess is often the highlight of the season for both
her and her young daughters. Royal enthusiasts abroad have also
shared their excitement, with several in the United States confirming

(02:39):
that replies reached them so long as their correct international
postage has been used. For those posting within the United Kingdom,
Royal Mail's final dates are approaching seventeenth of December for
second class and twentieth of December for first class. Obtaining
a Christmas card from Princess Catherine is remarkably straightforward. Supporters
need only send their own festive card with a clear

(02:59):
return address. Palace staff will then reply on behalf of
the Prince and Princess of Wales with a card containing
a pre printed message of thanks in a photograph. There
is no formal protocol. A simple seasonal greeting is entirely appropriate,
though while wishers may choose to offer the Princess on
early birthday messages. She turns forty four on the ninth
of January. The cards should be addressed to TRH the

(03:25):
Prince and Princess of Wales, Kensington Palace, London, W eight
four p X. That's TRH the Prince and Princess of Wales,
Kensington Palace, London, W eight for p X, and the
King and Queen may also be contacted in the same
way their addresses The King and Queen, Buckingham Palace, London,

(03:45):
s W ONEA one double A. Other working royals accept
correspondents as well, including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh
at Bagshot Park GU nineteen five p L. That's the
Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh at Bagshot Park GU nineteen
to five p L and the Princess Royal at Buckingham

(04:05):
Palace SWEA one A. Further postal details for all members
of the royal family, along with guidance on writing to them,
can be found on the monarchy's official website or palace.
In just a moment, the next royal fight could be
over soccer. There are fresh indications that both Prince William

(04:28):
and Prince Harry Hope to support Team England in the
twenty twenty six World Cup, parts of which will be
staged in the United States. According to reporting in The Sun,
early preparations are already under way. One source said Wills
is planning to come to the US and we have
been told to prepare for what a trip would entail.
Interactions between security services and the UK US intelligence teams

(04:51):
are in progress. The prospect of a visit comes as
separate reports suggests the Prince and Princess of Wales are
expected to travel to the United States for the fourth
of j Lion, when America marks the two hundred and
fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
At the same time, it is being suggested that the
Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be part of
any official commemorations. A source told Page six. We're hoping

(05:14):
all the senior royals will come over. This is going
to be a huge year for both the US and
the UK. Obviously, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex aren't
working royals, so they will not be invited to any celebrations.
Any invitation would have to come at the behest of
the royal family themselves. William has reportedly joined Kate in
her cold water swimming routine and practice Catherine adopted following

(05:36):
her cancer diagnosis and says helps her manage stress. She
had previously remarked on The Good, The Bad and the
Rugby podcast that when it comes to cold swims, the
cold are the better, noting at the time that her
husband considered the idea crazy, particularly in the dark or
in the rain. However, during a recent engagement at Colwyn Bay,
the Prince of Wales admitted he has now taken up

(05:58):
the habit. You feel great afterwards, he said, adding I
love it, while also conceding that I do a lot
of yelling and screaming when I get in. Festive visitors
heading to Windsor Great Park for their Christmas tree have
expressed irritation over a newly imposed detour around the recently
occupied home of the Whales family. The diversion, set up
to prevent traffic from passing directly in front of Forest Lodge,

(06:22):
is adding more than a mile to the short journey.
Access in and out of the immediate area has been
limited since the Prince and Princess of Wales began settling
into their eight bedroom residents last month. As a result,
those making their annual trip to the Christmas tree shop
next door are now being steered onto a looping route
to avoid the entrance to the royal property. One local

(06:44):
told the Daily Mail a car was parked and running
both days with what looked like two plane clothes officers
inside to prevent anyone going into the lodger's grounds. The
shop is right next door, so it's not surprising that
Waleses are keeping an extra eye out in case anyone
is tempted to take a peek. We've talked a few
times about renaming streets that have Prince Andrew in the title,

(07:06):
but it appears that renaming a street isn't all that
easy to do. Any change is far from straightforward. Address
alterations can affect bank accounts, credit cards, driving licenses, utility builds,
property deeds, and even pet microchips. Businesses must update signage
and stationary Royal mail and emergency services must be consulted

(07:26):
to avoid confusion. Councils can charge administrative fees. Digital systems
such as sat nav, databases and online mapping services also
need updating. Past examples show how complex and costly. The
process can be In Tottenham, Harringe Council spent at least
fifty pounds renaming black Boy Lane to Larrose Lane in

(07:49):
twenty twenty three, reimbursing one hundred and sixty eight households
for the cost of changing their documentation. Even then, some
residents protested with homemade signs in a graffiti mural restoring
the old name appeared before being removed. GEO Place, which
provides national guidance on street naming, discourages using the names
of living figures precisely to avoid the sort of reputational

(08:13):
risk now associated with Andrew mount Baton Windsor. Controversy is
not limited to Britain. The scion for Plaza Margaret Thatcher
in Madrid has been repeatedly vandalized, while the street once
known as Churchill Street in Tehran was renamed Bobby Sands
Street in nineteen eighty one, prompting the British Embassy to
create a new entrance on an adjacent non political road.

(08:36):
As an asside, there is a road in Norwich a
local politician wants us to know it was named not
after Andrew mount Baton Windsor, but after Prince Philip's father,
Prince Andrew of Greece. Golf courses, on the other hand,
are a little easier to rebrand. The Duke's Course at
Saint Andrew's, opened by Andrew mount Baton, Windsor in nineteen
ninety five, will take on a new name, the Craigton Course,

(08:59):
drawn from a country park situated nearby. The venue lies
roughly three miles from the town center and forms part
of the wider golfing landscape around one of Scotland's most
prestigious sporting and destinations. The rebrand extends to the club's
visual identity. The existing logo, which features a lion rampant
clutching a saltire, will be replaced by a design depicting

(09:22):
trees to remove any royal association. The Duke's Course, currently
operated by the Collar owned Old Course, Hotel, golf resortant
SPA or remain in the US management until January fifth,
after which the new name comes into official use. And
there you have it. If you like to email us
or addresses the palacinricat gmail dot com. If you're looking

(09:42):
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And we really appreciate your support. Mark Francis my thanks
to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue in good times