Treated like Royalty
When an invitation to meet The Queen at Windsor Castle arrived for Frank Zecca, a postman at the Queen Elizabeth Delivery Office, he got more than he bargained for, writes Zoe Walker.
‘I was honoured to be asked to go there and it was nice to represent Royal Mail,’ says Frank, who visited the castle earlier this month as part of a ‘thank you’ event for local key workers.
‘We went up to the castle and had security checks and Covid-19 tests before waiting for the results.
‘There were about 20 of us waiting in a tent to see The Queen: charity workers, people from the council who work with vulnerable people, the headmistress of a local school.
‘A thick fog came down while we there, so it was quite atmospheric.
‘The Salvation Army sang Christmas Carols for 20 minutes and then The Queen came out and thanked them very much.
‘After that, Charles and Camilla spoke to her. Then William and Kate came out… Then Prince Edward and Sophie… and Princess Anne!’
Frank certainly wasn’t expecting to see three generations of the family at the function.
‘We were all lined up at the tables and William and Kate came over and asked about the job and what it was like and I said: “really hectic at the moment!”
‘They said: “we are 100 per cent behind you and we appreciate your work”.
‘Edward and Sophie said: “we are surprised not to see you in your shorts!” They were all very supportive of Royal Mail.’
Being a postman in Windsor definitely has its perks – and the visit earlier this month was not the first time that Frank has met The Queen.
He says: ‘Luckily, four years ago, The Queen and Prince Philip came to our delivery office for her 90th birthday. That was an excellent day.
‘She finds out about you and remembers everything. Prince Philip is brilliant and breaks the ice with people. He talks and people appreciate what he says.
‘I have worked for Royal Mail for 19 years and been to the castle lots of times – I have been doing collections there for years.
‘I feel really privileged.’
