...to suggest the Queen should take on more staff pretty urgently?

[Scarby9]

Fairly tongue in cheek, but having successfully applied for a Diamond Wedding congratulatory message from the Queen, I was a bit non-plussed to then receive this message:
*confirming your application for a congratulatory message from The Queen, please note that there will be a delay to the delivery of Her Majesty's card. The message will be delivered as soon as possible, but we are unable to specify a date at this time.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

The Anniversaries Office*

Since these messages only go to people who have been married 60 years, or made it to their 100th birthday, I would have thought time was of the essence in these cases.

Maybe the palace could take on a few extra temporary staff to clear the backlog and catch up, or temporarily redeploy staff who would usually be organising royal visits or walkabouts that are not currently taking place?

@amijustparanoidorjuststoned

....Don't say it, don't say it, Don't say it, don't say it, Don't say it, don't say it...

Okay I'll say it. There's a global pandemic going on. Lots of people have died, half a million people will have been made redundant next month, people are struggling to feed their kids. Surely your priority isn't having a civil servant write a card...?

I'm sorry to be so blunt and I'm happy for your parents but... seriously?

Half a million people being made redundant next month seems a very good reason for the ridiculously wealthy queen to take on more staff.

I bet she'd kick orf if the nation was too busy to celebrate any of her big events on the right day. Let's try it!

@amijustparanoidorjuststoned

....Don't say it, don't say it, Don't say it, don't say it, Don't say it, don't say it...

Okay I'll say it. There's a global pandemic going on. Lots of people have died, half a million people will have been made redundant next month, people are struggling to feed their kids. Surely your priority isn't having a civil servant write a card...?

I'm sorry to be so blunt and I'm happy for your parents but... seriously?

And yet the world continues to turn... 🙄

@Thisismytimetoshine

Does she hand write them personally? It would have been just as quick to send the bloody congratulations message, as a message telling you the message itself will be delayed!

No, she doesn't sign every one.

I assume the OP got the message via email or text from the sign up (so can be sent out to hundreds/thousands waiting at the same time), whereas the card will come in the post.

Bloody hell @LaMarschallin have you really just suggested a person of mixed race would send a banana as a gift?

There's always one that has to make everything about Covid (for the record I think you are paranoid and stoned)

'amijustparanoidorjuststoned
....Don't say it, don't say it, Don't say it, don't say it, Don't say it, don't say it...
Okay I'll say it. There's a global pandemic going on. Lots of people have died, half a million people will have been made redundant next month, people are struggling to feed their kids. Surely your priority isn't having a civil servant write a card...?
I'm sorry to be so blunt and I'm happy for your parents but... seriously?'

@AudTheDeepMinded

Bloody hell *@LaMarschallin* have you really just suggested a person of mixed race would send a banana as a gift?

I think it’s a reference to when Meghan wrote messages on fruit given to sex workers. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-47092171

@WrongKindofFace suggest pp gets it edited to apple or kiwi then, or anything but banana!

@AudTheDeepMinded

Bloody hell *@LaMarschallin* have you really just suggested a person of mixed race would send a banana as a gift?

I don't think so, no. The race thing is coming from you.

[quote AudTheDeepMinded]@WrongKindofFace suggest pp gets it edited to apple or kiwi then, or anything but banana![/quote]
The banana is the whole point?

Changing it to apple or kiwi would make no sense. The pp mentioned Meghan writing a message on bananas because Meghan wrote messages on bananas.

[quote AudTheDeepMinded]@WrongKindofFace suggest pp gets it edited to apple or kiwi then, or anything but banana![/quote]
If you read the article it seems that she did actually write on a banana. But I agree that the comment could be misconstrued.

@WrongKindofFace I certainly misconstrued my head off when I read it, having no previous knowledge of the context!

It would have been just as quick to send the bloody congratulations message, as a message telling you the message itself will be delayed!

You're bringing common sense into it now - never a safe thing to do where these things are concerned

@JulieHere I completely agree with you. OP clearly stated that it was tongue in cheek but still, Covid is the only thing we are allowed to think about

I applied a couple of years ago for my grandparents. It comes with a typed message and the Queen's signature. I couldn't tell if the signature is real or printed. As far as admin goes, it can't take much organising. Even if they are hand signed, I'm not sure Her Maj is on the front line of the pandemic effort. And she must have gained loads of time from all the events being cancelled.

I can't believe MNHQ deleted that comment. It was clear what it referenced.

Cannot imagine Andrew licking and sticking down the envelopes somewhow even if he is bored.

As far as admin goes, it can't take much organising

They send out over 50000 cards and messages a year. The anniversary ones are all checked, as are birthdays for anyone who isn't on the DWP system and all the ones that go overseas are checked.

If delegated to Andrew he could send out accompanying vouchers for Pizza Express Woking - or even pop along and join in with parties.

Wouldn't the chemicals in the marker pen ink permeate through the banana skin?

amijustparanoidorjuststoned

We don't have to be 100% serious through this pandemic.

I applied a couple of years ago for my grandparents. It comes with a typed message and the Queen's signature. I couldn't tell if the signature is real or printed

Here you go:

www.autographs.co.uk/autopen-machine-signatures

@amijustparanoidorjuststoned it's just a pandemic, not a global pandemic (that you just had to introduce into a conversation about something else entirely).
OP, in my utter stupidity, I didn't realise that you actually had to request these cards from Her Maj. Good job my parents were not the slightest bit interested in that sort of thing, having republican tendencies. Why I thought some lackey was employed to scan wedding certificates from 60 years previous, I don't know!

WrongKindOfFace

AudTheDeepMinded

Bloody hell LaMarschallin have you really just suggested a person of mixed race would send a banana as a gift?

I think it’s a reference to when Meghan wrote messages on fruit given to sex workers.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-47092171

Yes, exactly that.

Any other connotation didn't occur to me.
And presumably not to Meghan when she did it.

Anyway, OP, may I reiterate my good wishes for your parents' anniversary.

@AudTheDeepMinded

WrongKindofFace I certainly misconstrued my head off when I read it, having no previous knowledge of the context!

Obviously.