Royal Mail and Royal Females

Red post box embedded in stone wall but pavement

What can you see on this postbox? Do you know how to date a postbox to a monarch?

This one has a crown with the letters E and R either side. This indicates Queen Elizabeth, who is Scotland’s first Queen Elizabeth. However, a postbox installed at the same time in England has ‘EIIR’ for Elizabeth the Second. 

Red post box embedded into stone wall
Red post box in wall, East Port

Dunfermline still has a direct link to the current Windsor royals. When James VI of Scotland gifted Dunfermline to his new wife Queen Anne of Denmark as a wedding present in 1589, she was very keen to spend time here. The Palace was redesigned to her taste and what remains of the grand splendour makes a fascinating visit – see the Historic Environment Scotland link below. But back to the Windsor connection…

During one of her stays in the Palace, Anne gave birth to Charles I who reigned Great Britain from 1625 to 1649 – until notoriously being beheaded by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War. You can see the garter worn by Charles at his execution at the Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries, which is also well worth a visit. The Stuart monarch’s line ended with Charles’ granddaughter Queen Anne in 1714, so that’s not the connection. 

It’s actually through Charles’ sister – Elizabeth (1596-1662) – that the lineage to today’s Windsor’s can be traced. Elizabeth was also born in Dunfermline and married Frederick, later King of Bohemia, and their grandson was George of Hanover who took the throne in 1714 following the death of Queen Anne. 

Subsequently, George’s sons have a direct line to Queen Victoria (1837-1901), the great-great-great grandmother of our present-day King Charles III …which brings us neatly back to the postbox of his mother! 

You can see the full British monarchy family tree on the YouTube link below: 

Weblinks:
Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia
Historic Environment Scotland Website
British Monarchy Family Tree