On His Majesty's Service

On His Majesty's Service or On Her Majesty's Service (depending on the sex of the reigning monarch), is an official franking commonly seen on correspondence from government departments in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other countries that share the same monarch as their head of state (now known as Commonwealth realms).

For other uses, see OHMS (disambiguation).
Australian official mail, franked "On His Majesty's Service", crash cover salvaged from the 1935 Imperial Airways "City of Khartoum" aircraft crash at Alexandria during an England to Australia flight
"On Her Majesty's Service" envelope with OHMS economy "Official Paid" label from 1978

The expanded form, On His/Her Britannic Majesty's Service has been used for international correspondence, for example for mail to British diplomatic posts in other countries.

In Canada, the initialism O.H.M.S. may be written on an envelope instead of using postage stamps for any letters being sent to the House of Commons of Canada or to any member of the Parliament of Canada.[1] Letters sent from lieutenant-governors may also bear the O.H.M.S. mark. The French translation Service de sa Majesté (SDSM) is also used.

In Australia before Federation, letters in envelopes franked with the O.H.M.S. mark were exempt from postal fees.[2]

See also

References
  1. Legislative Services Branch. "Canada Post Corporation Act, s.35(2)". laws-lois.justice.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  2. "Notice to advertisers – VII. Exemption from Postage Rates". The Age. 12 December 1867. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
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