We are delighted to confirm that His Majesty King Charles III has accepted Patronage of the National Churches Trust. This follows on from the late Queen Elizabeth II, who served as Patron of the National Churches Trust from 1953 until 2022.
“We are honoured to welcome King Charles III as Patron of the National Churches Trust,” shares Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the charity.
“This highlights the significance of UK churches and the important role that the National Churches Trust plays in keeping these wonderful buildings open and in good repair.
“With so many churches facing increased repair costs and at risking of closing, the future of the UK’s churches is the single biggest heritage crisis today.
“The news of His Majesty King Charles III’s support will mean a great deal to our Friends, generous donors and the churches we are helping to keep open.”
A royal history
Both Her Majesty the Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, were supporters of our work keeping churches open and in good repair.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became our Royal Patron in 1953 when we were founded as the Historic Churches Preservation Trust and Prince Philip was the President of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust from 1953 to 1965.
In the 1950s The Duke of Edinburgh's support included starting a special 1955 relay race from the grounds of Buckingham Palace in aid of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust in which famous athletes of the day took part including Roger Bannister, Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher.
In July 2003, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attended a service of thanksgiving at St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield, central London, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust.
In 2013, the 60th anniversary of the National Churches Trust was celebrated at a special service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey.
In the Order of Service, Her Majesty wrote: “Since the foundation of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust in 1953, I have seen the excellent work you have undertaken to support historic church buildings in this country.”
His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester, remains as Vice Patron of the National Churches Trust. The Duke of Gloucester attends our annual National Church Awards, our yearly Carols by Candlelight Christmas concert and has visited some of the churches that have been greatly impacted by our grants and support.
Caring for churches
"As one of the first charities to be honoured with the Patronage of Queen Elizabeth, we are very grateful to have had her support continuously throughout her reign,” says Luke March, former Chair of the National Churches Trust.
"Our origins date back to the early 1950s when the condition of parish churches was in a perilous state, following the Second World War."
"We are deeply honoured that His Majesty the King has agreed to be Patron of the National Churches Trust,” shares Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair of the National Churches Trust.
“The nation's churches and chapels bear witness to the ancient history of Britain's monarchy, as well as to the continuous life of thousands of its communities. They are a precious and irreplaceable asset, and we are delighted that His Majesty has continued the association established over 70 years ago."
Thanks to our Friends and generous donors, we have been able to help thousands of churches stay open and in good repair. In 2023 alone, we gave £2.2 million to churches, chapels and meeting houses across the UK through more than 251 grants. And, thanks to these grants, seven churches were then removed from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.