The King's Messenger Passport: History and Current Status

King’s Messenger Passport History
The King’s Messengers are official couriers employed by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). They transport sensitive diplomatic documents between British embassies and consulates worldwide. Many are retired military personnel and travel discreetly in business class, carrying an official diplomatic case that is never to be separated from them—often secured with a chain.

Diplomatic Immunity & Security

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations ensures the inviolability of the diplomatic bag, which cannot be opened, X-rayed, or investigated. However, messengers and their personal luggage are subject to normal security screenings.

Earliest Historical Specific Mention

Popular consensus is King’s Messengers are first mentioned in 1199 during the rule of King John. See entry in ‘The Great Roll of the Pipe’ (annual financial records of the Crown). On the odd occasion and to mark the delivery of good news, Royal Messengers were rewarded with a cash gift. In 1257, King’s Messenger John Faukes received £1 (worth over £2,000 today).

In 1377 King’s Messenger Sir William de Faryngton had the unenviable task of transporting the four quarters of the traitor Sir John of Mistreworth to different parts of England. Again in1397, King’s Messenger Thomas Monkton was responsible for conveying a quarter body part of the traitor Henry Ropere to Norwich, no doubt for display on the City’s gibbet.

King Edward III subsidized the costs of his Messenger William Clerk on his pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mount Sinai.

Further reading: Portrait of a King’s Messenger

FCDO Records (1995, 2015 and 2025)

Employment: 27 positions (1995), 19 positions (2015) and 15 positions in 2025
Salary: Based on a C4 Officer pay scale (£25,200 – £33,200)
In 2022/23 it was recorded that King’s Messengers have made 302 journeys, moving 330,000 kilograms of weight

Recruitment

Serving King’s Messengers are from a variety of backgrounds. In the past, recruitment tended to be from the ranks of former military and police officers. Today the majority of recruitment is from within the mainstream civil service. There is one female KM currently serving.

Briefcase and chain

“The briefcase and chain is a romantic notion probably drawn from the many fictitious novels and films centered on the Royal Messenger role. I have never come across any firm evidence of this practice either past or present”, says Jake Clark.

Air crashes and other noteworthy incidents

In 1945 King’s Messenger Captain Robert MacDonald Guthrie was travelling on an RAF Avro York carrying support staff to the Yalta Conference. The aircraft crashed near Malta killing all on board.

In August 1947 Kings Messenger Paul Simpson was on a journey travelling from Buenos Aires to Santiago on a British South American Airways flight on an Avro Lancastrian. The aircraft crashed in the Andes killing all on board. Initial searches failed to locate the aircraft. It was not until 1998 that the first traces of wreckage were discovered with human remains being recovered some years later.

In January 1949 Kings Messenger Ralph Kinnard was seriously injured whilst travelling on a British South American Airways Avro 685 which crashed shortly after taking off from Caravellas, Brazil with a number of fatalities. After a lengthy hospitalization he returned to duty.

In November 1949, King’s Messenger Lieutenant Colonel AJS Fane was one of those killed when an American Airlines Douglas DC6 crashed near Dallas whilst en-route from New York to Mexico City.

In May 1963, Queen’s Messenger Colonel HC Drake was on an Air Afrique flight again on a DC6 from Cameroon to Lagos. The aircraft crashed into Mount Cameroon killing all on board.

In March 1974, Queen’s Messenger Geoffrey Miller was a passenger flying from Mumbai to Heathrow on British Airways flight 771. The aircraft was hijacked mid-flight by Palestinian Terrorists. The flight was diverted to Amsterdam. All passengers and crew were uninjured.

The Passports King’s Messenger Passport History

The ‘dedicated’ Queen’s Messenger passport was used throughout the reign of Her Late Majesty, up until around 2017. These passports were withdrawn due to not being compatible with the advances in passport screening technology being widely introduced around the world during the last decade. With an establishment over recent years of around fifteen Queen’s Messengers, the cost of providing a dedicated passport for so small a category was financially prohibitive.

Queen's Messenger Passport type which was used until 1987 — Queen’s Messenger Passport type which was used until 1987

In contrast, to show how the world has changed, the following endorsement from 1983, details how, with the barest of formalities, a Queen’s Messenger passport was extended beyond its original five-year validity for a further five years.

Queen's Messenger Diplomatic passport — Queen’s Messenger Diplomatic passport

In 2017 the UK were still a member state of the European Union, the following passport was introduced which reflected the membership. These passports contained the following endorsement. “THE HOLDER IS A MEMBER OF THE QUEEN’S MESSENGER SERVICE”.

King's Messenger passport — King’s Messenger passport

In January 2020, the UK left the EU. This fact was reflected with the gradual introduction of this passport (still containing the above endorsement). Following the accession of His Majesty King Charles III in September 2022, the above passports continued to be issued up to the present day, but now contain the endorsement “THE HOLDER IS A KING’S MESSENGER”.

Earlier Passport Types

Final Thoughts King’s Messenger Passport History

Despite modern alternatives, King’s Messengers continue to play a vital role in international diplomacy, ensuring secure hand-delivery of classified documents. Their historic prestige, rigorous training, and discreet but essential operations make them an enduring symbol of British diplomatic security. King’s Messenger Passport History

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