The Queen took her royal duties seriously until the end, and she only received one day off a year from her red box duties. Papers from the Government would be delivered to the Queen wherever she was in the country, whether it be Buckingham Palace or Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
The late Queen was famously pictured with one of her red boxes to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession earlier this year.
As monarch, the Queen’s cypher of EIIR was embossed on the top of her case.
This cypher featured throughout the Queen’s reign and was engraved on postboxes and sewn onto the uniforms of the Royal Household.
Now Charles’ red boxes will be different as they will feature his cypher, an interlocked C and R (for Charles and Rex, Latin for King), with ‘III’ included within the R.
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“However, there is a school of thought with origins dating back to the late 16th century, when Queen Elizabeth I’s representative, Francis Throckmorton, presented the Spanish Ambassador, Bernardino de Mendoza, with a specially constructed red briefcase filled with black puddings.
“It was seen as an official communication from the Queen, and so the colour red became the official colour of the state.”
Charles has been busy adapting to his new role as monarch since the Queen died on September 8, recently hosting his first State Visit at Buckingham Palace.
The King and Queen Consort greeted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with a ceremonial welcome before throwing a State Banquet in his honour at the Palace.
A few weeks ago he also led the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph, his first as Sovereign.
Charles’ coronation will take place in May 2023, and he will formally take the oath as King and be crowned at Westminster Abbey.
