The history of the British monarchy is steeped in tradition and pride, as the oldest form of government in the United Kingdom.
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II is sovereign and was crowned Monarch in 1953. Her Majesty serves as a symbol of unity and national pride. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex deeply believe in the role of The Monarchy, and their commitment to Her Majesty The Queen is unwavering. Their roles will continue to reflect their sense of duty and allegiance to The Monarch and her legacy in the world, as they transition into the new working model. As they move to become members of the Royal Family, with financial independence, their commitment to The Monarch is resolute, and they aim to continue to fly the flag for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as called upon.
The British Royal Family has forged links with thousands of charities, public institutions, military associations, and professional bodies in order to highlight the vital work they do for their communities. These efforts help recognise and support the organisations and their contributions to society.
“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.” Her Majesty The Queen
As members of the Royal Family, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex support Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by continuing her efforts to draw special attention to these groups as patrons of multiple organisations.
The history of patronages is a fascinating historical insight into the British Royal Family and the role they continue to play in The United Kingdom. For over three centuries, members of The British Royal Family have held patronages to advance causes and shine a light on important areas of interest for the nation. It was during World War II when members of the public were looking to The Royal Family for a sense of hope and patriotism that the Royal Family further embraced their roles as patrons on a greater scale. They did this by honouring grassroots clubs and organisations as well as larger establishments that reflected the fabric of the nation.
It is for this reason that patronages cover a broad spectrum of causes, a symbol of national pride that was so needed then and has carried over to present day. While there is a distinction between patronages and the community work the Duke and Duchess champion individually, there is sometimes overlap based on their interests. Today, Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have chosen their patronages to support charitable organisations that represent causes important to them and that honour the legacy of Her Majesty The Queen.
The Duke of Sussex
The Duchess of Sussex
Previous Tours and Trips:
Since the announcement of their engagement in November 2017, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have embarked on hundreds of official visits throughout the United Kingdom, in addition to notable overseas tours to support the Commonwealth and beyond.
In 2018, The Duke and Duchess traveled to Ireland, the UK’s closest and most important neighbour, as one of their first official trips as a married couple. It was an important opportunity to not only represent the UK government, but also highlight the rich cultural heritage of this amazing country.
The visit was seen as an important moment in UK-Ireland relations, helping celebrate the bond between the two nations, and furthering future prospects in trade, tourism and culture.
From the historic Book of Kells, one of Ireland’s greatest cultural treasures, to Dogpatch Labs, a startup hub in Dublin’s Digital Docklands, The Duke and Duchess were able to learn about Irish history and modern enterprise.
“We draw strength from one another as neighbours, partners, and above all, as friends.” — The Duke of Sussex, speaking at the British Ambassador’s residence at Glencairn.
In the autumn of 2018, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex traveled to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, to reaffirm each country’s close ties to the United Kingdom and to highlight important global issues of climate change, mental health and gender equality. It was also on this tour that the couple joyfully announced that they were expecting their first child.
As well as promoting the UK as a welcome home for business, education and tourism, the four host nations were able to promote their country on the world stage, and work with The Duke and Duchess to amplify the work being done by charities and organisations in their nations. In particular, Their Royal Highnesses were able to show how inspiring young people in each country were demonstrating leadership on a wide variety of issues.
A major focus for Their Royal Highnesses was also the Invictus Games, founded by The Duke of Sussex, which took place in Sydney, highlighting once again the power of the armed forces community worldwide and the incredible achievements of injured wounded and sick service personnel.
Details on The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s impactful official visit to Morocco will be added in due course.
In September 2019, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex undertook a 10 day tour of Southern Africa to boost UK relations with South Africa, Angola, Malawi, and Botswana while building support for climate change initiatives, women’s rights, illegal wildlife trade, race relations, and cultural understanding. Both private and official visits during this trip supported the goals across these countries:
In South Africa, Their Royal Highnesses began with a visit to the Nyanga township with The Justice Desk Project (NGO) supported by The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust dedicated to making women and girls safer. Against the backdrop of protests against GBV, The Duchess focused much of her private time on meetings and visits to address femicide, gender based violence, and the remedies so many are working towards within this region.
The Duke and Duchess also celebrated South Africa’s diversity both at the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town and on Heritage Day at Bo Kaap, acknowledging the pain of apartheid, division and tension this country has suffered, but working towards a united vision for the future.
In addition, they worked on the ground with mental health organisations, convened female entrepreneurs, met with young mothers affected by HIV/AIDS, and talked about goals of inclusivity with iconic figures and rights champions such as Desmond Tutu, Graca Machel and Sophia Williams De Bruyn.
The Duchess also convened representatives from across Africa at an ACU roundtable to discuss access to education and presented grants on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.
While in Botswana, The Duke worked closely with Dr Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders in Chobe National Park, to plant over 200 trees in the neighbouring reserve as part of the regeneration of this vital ecosystem. Additionally, The Duke, who is founding patron of Sentebale, continued the charity’s work to eradicate the stigma of HIV, and to see the progress this impactful organisation has made on the ground in Botswana.
The Duke continued to Angola during this 1o day tour to retrace his mother’s footsteps in the legacy work she accomplished by working towards a landmine-free world. Now, 20+ years on, he witnessed the profound impact of her work and progress made, but also the vital need to energise international efforts to rid the world of landmines by 2025, knowing that 60 million people still live in fear of landmines everyday.
The Duke was also able to highlight the importance of protecting vital ecosystems with Luengue-Luiana National Park joining The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, while The Duchess continued meetings on gender equity in South Africa.
Once in Malawi, The Duke dedicated two more national parks to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy, as a continuation of the discussions he had with the President in 2016. He also focused on the powerful partnership between Malawi’s Game Rangers, the British Army and African Parks, an initiative that he’s been working on since 2016. The Duke took the opportunity to congratulate the President of Malawi for his progressive vision for the future.
The Duke also met with CAMA, an organisation that he and The Duchess have worked closely with to empower women and to support girls’ education. As they ended their tour, Their Royal Highnesses traveled to Johannesburg to meet with the President of South Africa and the First Lady to discuss UK and South Africa relations, and to further the goals of this visit requested by the FCO and commissioned by Her Majesty the Queen.