Got a mega-milestone birthday or anniversary coming up? Here's how you can get your letter from King Charles III himself
Since 1917, when King George V started the tradition with a telegram, royal messages have become a staple of major life moments across the UK and the Commonwealth.
During the late Queen Elizabeth II's record-breaking reign, more than 1.3 million royal cards were sent out.
Now, His Majesty the King is carrying the torch, and thanks to the digital age it's never been easier to get your hands on one. What You Can Get:
If you're an Aussie, you can nab messages from the King and the Governor-General, the Honourable Sam Mostyn, to mark:
• 50th wedding anniversaries (Governor-General only)
• 60th (Diamond), 65th, 70th (Platinum) anniversaries- and every year thereafter
• 100th, 105th birthdays- and every year thereafter. How to Apply: Get Your Docs Together: You'll need something official to prove the milestone, like a birth or marriage certificate, a passport, or a statutory declaration (available online or at the post office, or online via the Attorney-General's Department). Contact Your MP or Senator: They'll take care of getting the request in. Need help finding your rep? Just punch in your postcode here. Delivery of messages:
Anniversary messages will be delivered directly to the recipient. If you require an alternative delivery arrangement, please note the circumstances on the application form. Timing Is Everything
The Royal Mail doesn't move at lightning speed. Try to lodge your request at least two months in advance.
If you're running late, the Governor-General's office says they'll do their best- but no promises. Missed a milestone?
Good news: you can still request a message up to six months after the birthday or wedding.
Or, you can always try next year!
Right now, the title of Australia's oldest living person belongs to 111-year-old Kenneth 'Ken' Weeks- meaning he's racked up at least seven letters from the King so far.
Born on October 5, 1913, just before the outbreak of World War I, Mr Weeks lives in an aged care facility in Grafton, New South Wales.
Remarkably, he didn't move in until he was 104.
A familiar face in the Grafton community for decades, Mr Weeks has always kept busy.
According to Mr Weeks, he has "no regrets in life" and told The Daily Examiner "hard work" is the most important key to a long and happy life.
He'll celebrate his 112th birthday this October with son Ian and his grandchildren.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Stand or sit? The great toilet debate dividing Aussie men
An age-old debate has re-emerged this week, reopening the floodgates on one of the nation's great public toilet debates – just how many Aussie men are choosing a stall rather than a urinal when nature calls. In simple terms, when it comes to doing a number one, do men prefer to sit or stand? The discussion was kicked off on Reddit, where all good toilet debates often start, and it attracted hundreds of comments within hours. The woman who shared the post wrote: 'So all this started when I was asking my husband if it's weird to know that every person you 'go after' in the cubicle has done a number two. 'He said, not necessarily. I'm like, whaaaaatttt? He proceeds to tell me there is a percentage of men who use the cubicle for a wee.' She ended the post, saying, 'Please tell me if this is true or if he's having a laugh'. The comments rolled in, with each side passionately arguing their case. 'I've been using a cubicle since the first time I used a urinal while wearing shorts. There's a tremendous amount of splashback on the legs that I was completely oblivious to prior to that,' said one man. 'A sit-down wee is underrated,' another 'sitzpinkler' said (a German term for a man who sits down to urinate). 'I'm getting old, I need to sit down, one day you'll understand,' wrote another cubicle-goer. Others said there's often social discomfort when using urinals. 'I don't want to stand next to other blokes with my d**k out as we all stand on this metal grate splashing each other's boots with wee, feels weird,' wrote one. Another said it was a hygiene-related choice: 'I saw a video of how far pee can spread when it hits the urinal and have used the cubicle ever since'. Others on 'team cubicle' raised points of 'not having to aim,' 'never any mess to clean,' and 'sitting is more comfortable'. Meanwhile, yet another commenter agreed that the concept of urinals was strange. 'I am literally gay and I still find this bizarre. Standing next to some random guy p*ssing on a wall, p*ss splashing everywhere. No thanks, I want privacy when I go to the toilet,' they said. 'It's the worst thing ever,' someone else chimed in. 'I reckon it's some old-fashioned holdover, the fact that these things still exist'. It's true that urinals go back a long way, though their design has evolved over time. The very first urinals existed in ancient civilisations, with archaeological evidence pointing to stone-carved urinals in Sri Lanka as far back as the 9th century. The modern public urinal as we know it today came into being in 19th-century Paris. In 1834, Claude-Philibert Barthelot de Rambuteau introduced the 'pissoir' – a public urinal system designed to curb public urination in city streets. As urban planning evolved and public sanitation concerns grew, these open-air chambers transitioned to more private urinals inside enclosed toilet blocks in the 19th century. Despite many people turning their backs on the modern-day urinal, some still prefer it over sitting down. 'I don't want to have to touch the cubicle door, so it's the urinal for me,' said someone. 'Urinals for me too – it's usually quicker,' added another. There were also those in the Reddit thread who took a situational approach when deciding whether to stand or sit. 'Only use the cubicle for a wee if the urinal is full and there's a cubicle free,' shared one. And another said: 'I'll only use urinals if I'm the only one around or if they have dividers or there's enough distance from the next person'. 'Whichever one's free,' someone else wrote. A 2023 study by YouGov surveyed men from 13 different countries to see how many sit down when they urinate. The study found Aussie men are among the most enthusiastic sitters, with 25 per cent saying they always sit down to pee. That was the second-highest after Germany (40 per cent), where signs telling men to sit down are common in public toilets. Mexican men were the least likely to sit down at all. So, what's better for health? According to leading GP, Dr Zac, if you're healthy, either way is fine, but if you have Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, sitting is best. 'For men with no urinary issues, going number one standing vs. sitting doesn't make a difference,' Dr Zac told 'Flow rate, emptying time, post-emptying leftovers – are essentially identical whether you're standing or sitting'. However, men dealing with urinary symptoms might benefit from sitting, he says. A 2014 meta-analysis by researchers from Leiden University Department of Urology in the Netherlands found that, for men with lower urinary tract symptoms, 'the sitting voiding position is preferable to the standing'. Health considerations aside, Dr Zac says it's time society lets go of the idea that standing is the more 'manly' choice. 'Society will nudge you into thinking this, but health-wise sitting has your back (and pelvic floor). It's 2025, not 1883, and we've moved past the idea that only 'real men' stand to pee,' he said.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Popular Aussie chocolate recalled
A popular Cadbury chocolate block sold across Aussie supermarkets has been recalled amid concerns about 'foreign' matter in the product. Cadbury Australia is conducting a recall of its 10-piece share bag of Marvellous Creations with jelly and popping candy beanies. The 160g chocolate is sold at Coles, Woolworths, Drakes, The Reject Shop, IGA and independent retailers across the country. The company says the product may contain plastic, which could cause illness or injury if consumed. Cadbury Australia is recalling its 10-piece sharebag of Marvellous Creations Jelly Popping Candy Beanies. Supplied Credit: Supplied 'Consumers should not eat this product … (and) should return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund,' the recall notice issued by Food Standards Australia states. 'Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.' The recall covers Marvellous Creations products with a best before date of May 21, 2026. The company says no other Cadbury Australia products have been affected by the recall.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
'I'm trying to help him': Hilarious moment 82-year-old Australian tells off koala after saving the adventurous critter from a busy road
The moment an elderly man gave a koala a stern warning after he bundled the animal out of harm's way on a busy road in Queensland has gone viral, with the rescuer since revealing just what he said to the iconic critter. The widely-shared footage shows Terry, 82, picking the koala up from a road on Beaudesert-Beenleigh Rd, north-west of the Gold Coast. A voice in the video can be heard saying "aw" as Terry carefully carries the creature to the roadside, before he releases the koala and it crawls towards the bush. Terry is then seen nudging the back of the koala with his foot before it turns around and faces the man - who then points his finger at the animal as if to tell it off. The pedestrian has since spoken about the heart-warming encounter, telling 7News he told the koala "not to scratch because I'm trying to help him". 'And the little mongrel just kept scratching. But he was only protecting himself ," Terry said. 'If you get hold of the bear quick enough and hold him the right way, they realise — especially when you start moving off the road — that they're getting out of danger.' The 82-year-old has since given the koala the nickname Ted, which he said he had visited twice a day since lifting it to safety. 'I had to look up and I couldn't see him. All of a sudden he moved — I spotted him," Terry told 7News. 'Yeah, he knew I was back.' Terry has been labelled a "true Aussie" in the wake of the video going viral. "Not all heroes wear capes," one person commented on a Facebook post sharing the clip. "And I bet that koala understood every word lol," another person said. "Haha a true Aussie," a fellow Facebook user commented.
