On Friday, the first red vertical post box bearing the emblem of King Charles was revealed, continuing a tradition that dates back nearly 175 years. The new box has been installed on High Street in the Great Cambourne area of central England, and children from the local school will be the first to send letters to the king expressing their concerns for the environment.
The post box features the king's emblem, which appears on government buildings and consists of the letters C and R, the initials of Charles and the Latin word "Rex," meaning king, along with a drawing of a crown.
The red vertical post boxes are one of the most recognized symbols of Britain, appearing on countless postcards and souvenirs, with around 115,000 of them located throughout the country. The first post box appeared in the 1850s, and the age of these boxes can be traced through the royal insignias they bear, with the oldest post box dating back to the era of Queen Victoria.
Despite the installation of new boxes since King Charles succeeded his mother in September 2022, the existing stock of boxes still bears the emblem of the late queen.
