With less a month until the royal wedding, Warrnambool’s William Goodman’s congratulatory card is already in the mail.
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Mr Goodman posted a card to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Monday ahead of their May 19 wedding at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in England.
He has been writing to royalty for the past three years and said receiving a reply gave him a real buzz.
“I sent a card to Prince Harry,” Mr Goodman said. “It takes about two weeks to get there. My wife thinks I’m crazy but I love it. I enjoy it.
“It’s a hobby I’ve got and I like doing it.”
The 80-year-old is also anticipating the birth of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s third child, a sibling to George and Charlotte, which is due any day now.
“I like to write and I love royalty. I started writing to them about three years ago,” he said.
“I wrote to the Queen on her 90th birthday and on her’s and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary and I got a beautiful photo back.”
He also wrote to the Queen in February last year to congratulate her on 65 years since her coronation and for her birthday this month and is eagerly awaiting her reply.
Mr Goodman said apart from his family and friends, the letter he received from the Queen was the “highlight of my life”.
He said he knew of people who received a card from the Queen for their 100th birthdays but he didn’t need to wait to turn 100 as he’d already been sent letters from her.
“I think about what I want to write and how to word it. It takes about an hour,” he said.
Receiving a card with a photo of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge and their two children was another highlight, he said.
“You wouldn’t think I’d get a letter from royalty but I do. Colin Kelly’s my postman and he said he’s never delivered royal mail to anyone except me,” he said.
“They’ve got to deliver it to your door. They can’t just put it in the letter box.
“People think if you write to these people you won’t get a reply but you do.
“I’m very proud of it all.”
His letter writing hobby also extends to Hollywood celebrities and as long as he continues to receive replies he will keep putting pen to paper.
He has written to Clint Eastwood, who is one of his favourite film stars, and his son Scott Eastwood who is also an actor. Both men sent him signed photographs of themselves.
Mr Goodman also loves Morgan Freeman and was pleased to receive a photo from him too.
“My wife thinks I’m silly doing all this but it’s a great interest. My children will have them later on,” he said.
