CORRESPONDENT OF ROYAL FAMILY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27096, 20 July 1953, Page 2

CORRESPONDENT OF ROYAL FAMILY

WELLINGTON PHILATELIST’S INTEREST (New Zealand Press Association; WELLINGTON, July 18. Much of the overseas correspondence received by a Wellington philatelist in the last 15 years has borne the seal of the Royal Household instead of postage stamps. The addressee is Mr Robert Jensen and the letters have been to thank him for sending New Zealand first-day covers to various members of the Royal Family. Mr Jensen began this sideline to his hobby of stamp-collecting In 1938, when he sent a set of Chamber of Commerce stamps to King George V His Majesty returned thanks through his Stamp Curator (the late Sir E. Deeming Bacon) with whom Mr Jensen subsequently had much correspondence. Two years later, Mr Jensen posted a first-day set of Health Stamps to King Edward VIII and at the same time began sending covers to Princess Elizabeth, then aged 12. Like her father, who also received covers from Mr Jensen, the Princess became an ardent philatelist and she caused many enthusiastic letters to be sent to Mr Jensen.

On June 8, Mr Jensen sent Coronation covers not only to the Queen the Duke of Edinburgh, but also to Prince Charles. He recently received a letter of thanks from the Queen’s Lady-in-Waiting on the young Prince's behalf. The letter begins: “Dear Bob.”