Buckingham Palace has revealed that King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and other senior royals will relinquish patronages of nearly 200 charities and organizations following a comprehensive review of their association with more than 1,000 groups. The news comes as Prince Harry prepares to return to the UK to attend an Invictus Games event on May 8, raising speculation about a possible meeting with his father.
The royal family's social media accounts shared the announcement on Saturday, stating, "Following His Majesty's Accession in September 2022, a detailed review of Patronages and Presidencies has been undertaken." The conclusions of the review will be shared with relevant organizations in the coming week to mark the first anniversary of Their Majesties' Coronation.
The tradition of royal patronages, where members of the Royal Family lend their names and time to support various charities, military associations, professional bodies, and public service organizations, dates back to the reign of George II in the 1700s. The late Queen Elizabeth II was patron of 492 organizations at the time of her death, while King Charles III, as the Prince of Wales, supported 441, and Queen Camilla held 100 patronages.
Following the extensive evaluation, just over 830 patronages have been retained by the King and Queen or passed to other members of the royal family. Among those retaining their royal connection are the Royal British Legion, the largest armed forces charity, the Dogs Trust, the Jockey Club, and the Wildlife Trusts, a grassroots nature organization.
Despite his age and health concerns, King Charles III has absorbed the vast majority of outstanding patronages, increasing his total number to 669. Of the 441 he held as the Prince of Wales, 367 have been retained either by him or another member of the Royal Family, with 74 organizations losing out. Queen Camilla has retained 91 of her 100 former associations and taken on 14 new ones.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who have previously expressed their intention to focus on a smaller number of key organizations and themes to create change, have not yet announced how many new patronages they have taken on to ease the burden on the King and Queen. Before the review, Prince William had 22 patronages, while Princess Catherine had 21, and the couple shared the patronage of NHS Together and The Royal Foundation.
A royal source emphasized that the process of "pruning" the patronages had been "very careful and very controlled" to ensure that no more were lost than was absolutely necessary. The source added, "There had been a lot of speculation that with a smaller number of working members of the Royal family there would be a more wholesale relocation of patronages but rather than minimisation this is maximisation. We are retaining far more than had been expected."
The King has chosen to retain patronages that highlight causes including supporting communities, conservation, and culture, such as the Wildlife Trusts, The Samaritans, and the Heritage Crafts Association. He has also taken on the patronage of the Royal British Legion (RBL), previously held by his late mother since her accession, as the organization prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in the UK and Normandy on June 6.
Queen Camilla's new patronages reflect her own interests, including the Royal Literary Fund, the Royal Academy of Dance, and the Royal Voluntary Service. She has also inherited the presidency of the Sandringham branch of the Women's Institute from her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.
