The RSN has always enjoyed Royal patronage, from its foundation in 1872 through Queen Victoria’s third daughter, Princess Helena; the RSN received its Royal status in 1875 when Queen Victoria became Patron. The Queen Mother was initially President and in 1937 became our Patron; when she died, Her Majesty The Queen became Patron. HRH The Duchess of Cornwall has been our Royal Patron since January 2017, taking over from The Queen when she stepped down from a number of charities towards the end of 2016, and HRH The Duchess of Gloucester has been our President for a number of years.

We have some lovely ‘Royal’ products in the RSN Shop, items to suit all pockets and tastes. You will of course need a shopping bag to start with, featuring the iconic coronation portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton; The Queen wears the Robe of Estate which was embroidered by the RSN Embroidery Studio.

Portrait embroidery kits by RSN Tutor Kate Barlow: King Henry VIII in Blackwork and HM Queen Elizabeth II in embellished Whitework, a design based on a UK postage stamp. We also have a limited number of canvas bags featuring an image of Kate’s ‘original’ Blackwork of King Henry VIII.

Drop a treasured line to someone you’ve not seen since lockdown, letting them know that you’re thinking of them. We have packs of note cards with images from the RSN Archive Collection showing the embroiderers in the ‘Workroom’, as it was known at the time, working on the Coronation Robes and also past Royal Patrons including the Queen Mother and Queen Mary.