FOI20260002S King's Messengers on roll
Published 3 February 2026
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST REF: FOI2026_00002S
Thank you for your email of 3 January 2026 asking for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. Your email was forwarded to us by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 5 January 2026 and was validated on 12 January 2026. You asked:
“Please could you confirm how many King’s Messengers you currently employee? Please break this down by full time and part time. Please also confirm the correct job title of this role.”
I am writing to confirm that we have now completed the search for the information which you requested.
I can confirm that FCDO Services does hold information relevant to your request, as set out below:
Number of King’s Messengers: 16 full-time
Correct Job Title: King’s Messenger
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Yours sincerely,