Dear Prince Philip
Christopher L. Jorgensen
P.O. Box 546
Ames, IA 50010
August 31, 2012
Prince Philip
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
Buckingham Palace
London SW1A 1AA
Dear Prince Philip,
I am glad to hear you are doing better. I once had a bladder infection and it was no laughing matter! I hope neither of us ever get one again.
A good friend of mine, and one of your subjects —a young man by the name of Ned Donovan— is a huge fan of yours. Ned’s done a few nice things for me over the years (he once sent me a bag of Quavers crisps since we don’t have these in my country), so I would like to do something nice for Ned in return.
I figure since Ned’s too polite of a lad to ask for himself I would write to find out if I could get an autographed photo. If you send it to the address above I promise I’ll make sure he gets it. I once asked your wife for a photo, but her Senior Correspondence Officer, Mrs. Sonia Bonici, said she only gives them out to people she knows. I’m hoping you don’t have such a policy. I would hate to disappoint Ned.
Sincerely,
Christopher L. Jorgensen
p.s. my father is named Philip, but he’s not a prince.
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Reply:
From: Captain Richard Hutton, Grenadier Guards,
Assistant Equerry to H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh
BUCKINGHAM PALACE
19th September, 2012
Dear Mr Jorgensen
The Duke of Edinburgh has asked me to write and thank you for your letter dated 31st August.
As you rightly point out in your letter, members of the Royal Family make it a rule not to send their autographs, so I am sorry that it will not be possible for His Royal Highness to do as you ask. I hope you will understand.
Thank you once again for your trouble in writing and Prince Philip sends you his best wishes for the future.
Yours Sincerely
[signed]
Richard Hutton
Mr. Christopher L. Jorgensen
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, LONDON SW1A 1AA
TELEPHONE: 020 7930 4832 FACSIMILE: 020 7839 5402
Prince Philip website: www.royal.gov.uk/thecurrentroyalfamily/thedukeofedinburgh/thedukeofedinburgh.aspx
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Christopher L. JorgensenPO Box 546
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This is one of those letters you have to take at face value. It’s too long to explain. Ned’s a long time reader who has occasionally contributed to the continued funding of this site. in short, he’s one of the ten or fifteen people you can thank for this site still existing. After I wrote I’d never had Quavers before he sent me some.
It was his suggestion I write Prince Philip: “Prince Philip is a bag of laughs. He cannot say something without being inappropriate, and it turns out he replies to a lot of letters himself on his computer he taught himself how to use. He also drives around London in a cab, he is epic in all senses of the word.”
Like I said in my letter to the Prince and above, Ned’s a standup guy. I just wish the Prince had mentioned him by name.
Previously: Queen Elizabeth II
By Christopher L. Jorgensen
Website: http://jackassletters.com