Kensington Palace has finally managed to reply to all of the royal fans who sent the Duchess of Cambridge a birthday card in January. One month after Kate turned 37, the palace posted notecards, thanking fans for their well wishes and also enclosing a photograph of Prince William's wife. The lovely portrait showed Kate on tour in Canada in 2016 wearing a red dress and a maple leaf brooch borrowed from the Queen – both nods to her host country. The choice of photo may have come as a surprise, as the palace have used the same photo for their cards in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Christin Zi was one of the thousands of royal fans who received a reply from Kensington Palace. The message on the back read: "It was so kind of you to write to The Duchess of Cambridge on the occasion of her 37th birthday. Your thoughtfulness was greatly appreciated by Her Royal Highness who sends her warmest thanks and best wishes."
The palace shared this picture of Kate in their thank you card
Christin told HELLO! that she wasn't too surprised they decided to repeat the card. "I think Kensington Palace and Clarence House are very busy, so maybe there wasn't time to decide on a new photo," she said. "But I am never disappointed, because receiving a reply always brings sunshine on a bad day. I am looking forward to see what I will receive in 2020. People always ask why I send the royal family letters. It's all about this joy and pleasure when you open the postbox and the replies, even when you know what's inside. This is always the highlight of your day."
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The lovely message from the palace
Christin first wrote to the Cambridges after the birth of Prince George in 2013. Undoubtedly, Kate is her favourite royal. "There are so many reasons," she said. "First of all, she has the power to bring people together and to put the focus on topics which she considers important. She puts a lot of effort and passion into her work, behind the scenes or in front of the camera. The Heads Together campain in 2017, which was her idea, was a huge success and brought so many people together, especially on social media.
"During official engagements and walkabouts she is really amazing. Even when you have just 20 or 30 seconds with her, she gives you the feeling of being valuable and she always makes you smile. It is so special and funny, especially when she reveals something about the children."
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The royals regularly send thank you cards to fans who celebrate their family milestones, such as birthdays, anniversaries or christenings. For Christmas last year, the Cambridges shared their annual family portrait, surprising in jeans and welly boots. The family dressed-down for their picture and posed in the gardens of their country home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk.
The palace stated: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased to share a new photograph of their family. The photograph, taken by Matt Porteous, shows The Duke and Duchess with their three children at Anmer Hall, and features on Their Royal Highnesses' Christmas card this year."
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