Question re Messages from The King

[GillianF]

When my uncle was going to be 100 years old I organised a card from The Queen for him.  When his daughter (my godmother) was celebrating her Golden (50) Wedding Anniversary I organised a commemorative marriage certificate for her - I was her bridesmaid all those years ago and her younger sister had remarked that the original certificate was probably getting a bit dog-eared!

So, my godmother is celebrating her Diamond (60th) wedding anniversary this year and I know she can have a card from The King.  I cannot apply until five weeks before the anniversary and can download the form and organise here from home (France) but does anyone know if I have to provide a marriage certificate as I will need a few weeks to order and receive one.

Thanks for any advice/knowledge of this.



Gillian

[JenB]

but does anyone know if I have to provide a marriage certificate

It says that you do on the relevant website https://www.gov.uk/get-birthday-anniversary-message-from-king scroll down to the 'Anniversaries' section.

[louisa maud]

Our daughter sent our marriage certificate  for our 60th anniversary,  they need proof, which reminds me I haven't  got it back yet from her.

LM

[CaroleW]

I arranged a 60th anniversary card from the Queen for some elderly friends back in 2003.   It was done over the telephone to GRO & I was asked for the date of marriage & both names plus wife’s maiden name.

They were on a cruise on their actual anniversary but GRO arranged for the card to be delivered to the ship before it left England with instructions that the Captain was not to deliver it before 9am on the day of their anniversary. 

They were “gobsmacked” when it was delivered & were invited to dine at the Captains table that night where they were presented with an enormous cake made specially for them.  Sadly both are now deceased

[JenB]

but does anyone know if I have to provide a marriage certificate

It says that you do on the relevant website https://www.gov.uk/get-birthday-anniversary-message-from-king scroll down to the 'Anniversaries' section.

Correction: scrolling down a bit further on, if you haven’t got the cert.,  as Carole has said, call the GRO eight weeks before the event

[GillianF]

OK.  I have found an A3 marriage certificate in a file I must have been given some time ago.  I'll probably go with phoning the GRO and let them sort it for me.   Thanks for the help ...........

[Little Nell]

I organised both a 60th and a 65th anniversary card from the Queen for my parents.  I did it online and submitted a photo of the marriage certificate, not the original.  There was no problem with that.

Nell

[melba_schmelba]

I arranged a 60th anniversary card from the Queen for some elderly friends back in 2003.   It was done over the telephone to GRO & I was asked for the date of marriage & both names plus wife’s maiden name.

They were on a cruise on their actual anniversary but GRO arranged for the card to be delivered to the ship before it left England with instructions that the Captain was not to deliver it before 9am on the day of their anniversary. 

They were “gobsmacked” when it was delivered & were invited to dine at the Captains table that night where they were presented with an enormous cake made specially for them.  Sadly both are now deceased

What a lovely story!

[CaroleW]

Yes - I couldn't believe GRO would go to all that trouble  (Jack died in 2021 aged 101)