Reign and shine

We join the postal team delivering to the King’s favourite royal residence in the build-up to the Coronation.

Cotswolds postie Chris Page enjoys exchanging friendly greetings with customers on his rural round. The village vet visiting the local racehorse stables. The farmer climbing aboard his combine harvester. King Charles III taking a morning stroll through his garden.

“I sometimes catch the King feeding his chickens or tending to his plants,” says Chris, whose Westonbirt route takes in

Highgrove House. “And, when he notices me, he’ll always give a wave.”

Chris is among an 18-strong team of Tetbury Delivery Office posties serving this scenic patch of Gloucestershire, which is home to film stars, writers and royalty.

“Highgrove House is the King’s favourite royal residence,” insists customer operations manager (COM) support and workplace coach Paul Sharpe, citing Charles’ return to Highgrove for a brief spell of respite and solace in the busy days following the death of his mother.

Mail addressed to Highgrove is despatched by Special Delivery to the Buckingham Palace Court Postmaster for security screening before being returned to Tetbury and handed to Chris ahead of his round.

“Highgrove mail hits its peak during historic royal events,” says COM Nigel Keates. “We handled many cards of condolence last September and, in the build-up to King Charles’s Coronation, up to 25 items a day rather than the usual five.”

Although Chris Page is a daily visitor to Highgrove House, where the stunning gardens designed by the King are open to the public, he didn’t make the guest list for the Coronation.

“I applied for tickets to the Windsor Castle Coronation Concert for my family,” he reveals.

Perhaps if the King had spotted him in the crowd, they’d have exchanged friendly waves.

Win special edition Coronation stamps

Royal Mail has released a stamp issue marking the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023. Turn to page 28 for the chance to win this commemorative collection.

ROYAL ROUND