Her Majesty sent her congratulations in a message from Buckingham Palace to mark the milestone.
In a letter to Editor John Meehan, the Queen’s Private Secretary David Ryan said: “Her Majesty was most interested to read about the newspaper. The Queen sends her warm good wishes to both the staff and readership of the Mail on this most special anniversary.”
Prime Minister David Cameron also sent a goodwill message to mark the Mail’s 125 years recording life in Hull and the East Riding.
Mr Cameron said: “You have campaigned tirelessly on behalf of your readers and provide a great service to your community. Newspapers like the Mail are so important and it is vital we support them in every way that we can.”
The Mail first hit the streets on September 29, 1885, and has been at the heart of local life ever since. Even during the dark days of the Blitz, Hitler’s bombs failed to stop the Mail bringing the news to its readers.
The Mail claims to be Yorkshire’s biggest selling daily newspaper and has an outstanding track record of awards success. It has been named Yorkshire Daily Newspaper of the Year in five of the past seven years; was Regional Newspaper of the Year in 2008; and Multi-media Publisher of the Year in both 2008 and 2009.
Mr Meehan said the Mail remained as relevant and vital to readers and the local community as ever.
He said: “Our birthday is an opportunity to reflect upon our extraordinary history, but we can also look forward with confidence to many, many more years at the heart of all things local.
“It is also a time for all of us at the Mail to pay tribute to our readers, advertisers and retailers who have played such a vital part in our story.”
The Mail has marked the anniversary with a series of special publications. On Tuesday, 28th September, the Mail published a replica of the first ever edition and today’s paper includes a souvenir supplement on how the Mail has told the story of local life. Also on sale is a special edition of the Mail’s Flashback nostalgia publication focusing on the history of the Mail.
BBC Radio Humberside yesterday broadcast live from the Mail, interviewing staff and readers about the Mail’s contribution to the local community.
Other events to mark the milestone include a special Mail 1885 beer on sale in pubs across the area and an exhibition at the Hull History Centre.
