King sends ‘very best wishes’ to Gibraltar after treaty signing 

King Charles has sent his “very best wishes” to the people of Gibraltar in a message to the Chief Minister following the signing of the UK-EU treaty in respect of the Rock. 

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, had written to the King on the day the treaty was formally signed to inform him personally of the development and its significance for Gibraltar. 

The King subsequently replied acknowledging Mr Picardo’s letter and the news of the treaty signing, asking him to convey his best wishes to all Gibraltarians. 

The correspondence took some time to reach Gibraltar through the usual diplomatic channels, the Gibraltar Government said. 

Mr Picardo described receiving the message as a source of pride for Gibraltar. 

“Receiving this message from His Majesty is a source of enormous pride for me and, I am sure, for the whole of Gibraltar,” he said. 

“I wanted to ensure that His Majesty was personally informed on the very day that the Treaty was signed, given the historic importance of that moment for our people and our future.” 

“I am therefore particularly delighted to be able to convey to all Gibraltarians His Majesty’s very best wishes.” 

Mr Picardo said the message had come at an important moment for Gibraltar following the formal signing of the agreement and its provisional implementation pending ratification by the UK and EU parliaments. 

“Gibraltar’s bonds with the Crown are profound and enduring,” he added.  

“His Majesty’s warm message, coming in the context of such an important moment in our history, will mean a great deal to our whole community.” 

“On behalf of the people and Government of Gibraltar, I have conveyed our deepest gratitude to His Majesty for his kind words and our continued affection and loyalty to the Crown.”