Gloucestershire woman becomes one of first people to get 100th birthday card from King Charles III

A Gloucestershire woman has become one of the first people in the country to get a 100th birthday card from King Charles III.

Muriel Graves turned 100 in September but, like many others, had to wait a little longer for the royal card to arrive at her care home in Cheltenham.

The card features an image of King Charles III with Queen Consort Camilla which was taken in the summer of 2018.

Muriel, who is from Stow-on-the-Wold but now lives at Royal Court Care Home in Cheltenham, said: "I love it and I'm so glad it's a picture of them both.

"What a handsome man King Charles is."

The posting of messages to mark significant birthdays and anniversaries is a tradition dating to 1917 and the reign of King George V.

Thousands of birthday cards are sent from Buckingham Palace every year to those celebrating their 100th and 105th birthday and every year thereafter.

Couples celebrating their 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries can also look forward to hearing from the monarch.

During Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, around 1.3 million cards were sent to mark birthdays and anniversaries across the UK, the Realms and the Overseas Territories.

The first missives sent by King George V were delivered by telegram.

The birthday and anniversary cards are the latest roles that King Charles III has taken over from his late mother.

Applications can be made online or by post.

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