As anyone who has been married for a long time can tell you, after nearly two decades of matrimony, you have to find new little ways to entertain yourself. In-jokes with your partner, sly remarks, general knowing glances—it’s important to have fun. Queen Camilla is somewhat limited by etiquette and royal protocol, of course, no off-color remarks that might raise a noble eyebrow allowed, but in a recent response to a well-wisher’s letter, she managed to get a little fun in nonetheless.
A royal fan by the name of Jessica, who chronicles her correspondence with various royal families on her Instagram account, shared a note that she received from Camilla in response to wishing her a happy wedding anniversary. King Charles III and Camilla hit the 18-year mark on April 9, and Jessica ‘grammed the thank you note on Wednesday. We respect a timely (literal) queen!
“Thank you for your thoughtful message for our 18th Wedding Anniversary. It is hard to believe how quickly time has flown by…!” the typewritten message on the card read, along with an underlined signature: Camilla R. The sign-off mirrors her royal cypher as the “R” stands for Regina, the Latin word for “queen”, lest you forget that you’re talking to a royal.
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Unsurprisingly, the photo on the card is of a smiling Camilla and Charles, pictured outside in knee-length coats. But wait, what’s that tiny black sliver on the left side of the frame, hovering well above Charles’ shoulder?
Say hello to Ryan Reynolds. He also thanks you for your well-wishes on the monarchs’ anniversary, we can only assume. Let’s take a step back and look at the facts to explain why Deadpool is making a partial appearance on official royal correspondence. The photo is from a December engagement where Charles and Camilla visited and toured Wrexham Stadium, home of the Wrexham Association Football Club. Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney became co-owners of the Welsh team, the third-oldest professional club in the world, in December 2020 and were on-hand to host the royals during their visit.
We’ve consulted our crack forensic team (also known as “my own eyes”) to line things up: the outfits are the same, obviously, showing that it was the same engagement. Another shot from the same series seals the deal: Please follow my laser pointer to note the painted field line positioned between Charles and Camilla, also present in the photo on the card. Note, as well, the positioning and height of Reynolds’ shoulder, which matches that of the mysterious dark object in the photo on the card.
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