Prince of Wales hails Britain's postal workers during pandemic

The Prince of Wales has hailed the "dedication, resilience and hard work" of Britain's postal workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Charles left a letter addressed to "Everyone at Royal Mail" outside his home in Birkhall, Aberdeenshire.

In the message, he and the Duchess of Cornwall stressed the value of Royal Mail workers "has never been more important".

The royal note was collected on Tuesday by their local postman Neil Martin.

In it the couple said: "Receiving such a personal message at this difficult and anxious time can mean an enormous amount.

"We feel sure that a very large number of these special greetings will be treasured for years to come. They may even become a valuable resource for social historians in the future.

"Postmen and postwomen are trusted figures in our local communities. They are a constant presence in an ever-changing world. For some people, they are a point of daily human contact; a friendly, familiar face."

It was signed off with "heartfelt thanks - and a big thumbs up" in reference to Royal Mail's Thumbs Up For Your Postie campaign - which encourages people to show their appreciation to their postal worker.

The royal couple also noted the challenges workers faced and said they played an "absolutely vital role in keeping family and friends in touch with one another".

"Many of you, we know, have gone above and beyond what is normally expected of you," the letter said. "We have heard wonderful stories of postmen and postwomen checking on older and vulnerable residents, raising funds for good causes, even wearing fancy dress costumes to raise a smile..."

Prince Charles spent a week in self-isolation after testing positive for coronavirus in March.