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The Queen Continues Patronage of the RSN
16th May, 2024
Following a major review of more than 1,000 Royal Patronages and charity Presidencies, and marking the first anniversary of Their Majesties’ Coronation, we are extremely proud and honoured to announce that Her Majesty The Queen will retain her Patronage of the Royal School of Needlework.
Her Majesty first became Patron in 2017 and we are very grateful for the continued Patronage of the RSN. We are also very honoured that Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Gloucester is our president. Her Royal Highness has supported the RSN since the 1990s.
Queen Camilla has visited us on three occasions to date. Her Majesty first visited the RSN in November 2017 with The Duchess of Gloucester. Her Majesty received a short tutorial in hand embroidery learning the traditional technique of Jacobean Crewelwork. The royal visitors met with staff, students and volunteers, and enjoyed a tour of the RSN’s Education Department, Embroidery Studio and the exhibition, ‘Embellishment in Fashion’.
We were delighted to welcome our Patron again in September 2019 and show a very special Blackwork portrait of Her Majesty. The embroidery was created by experts in our Embroidery Studio and took centre stage in a new exhibition at the time called ‘Faces & Figures in Stitch’. Her Majesty met with the expert RSN Studio embroiderers who created her portrait and students whose work was also on display.
The most recent visit was when Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the RSN in early 2023 to view the work the RSN was completing for the Coronation. The RSN worked on nine pieces for the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, including the Robe of Estate for Her Majesty.
Read more about our work on the Coronation for King Charles and Queen Camilla
The Royal School of Needlework was founded in 1872 and, persuaded by her daughter Princess Helena who was our first president, Queen Victoria became our first royal patron in 1875.