Royal support for the UK's church buildings

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, has been Patron of the National Churches Trust since 1953 when the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, its predecessor charity, was founded. In that time it has supported over 12,000 churches with grants and loans in excess of £100 million. 

To mark Queen Elizabeth's support for their work, the National Churches Trust has produced a special Royal Proclamation which thanks The Queen for her patronage.

Luke March, Chairman of the National Churches Trust said: 

"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."

"Our origins date back to the early 1950s when the condition of parish churches was in a perilous state, following the Second World War."

"After almost 70 years of our work, challenges still remain, but we are determined to ensure that churches continue to be at the heart of communities throughout the UK and that their magnificent heritage is safeguarded for future generations.  Since 1953 we have helped keep many thousands of churches open, being used and in good repair, confident in the steadfast support of Queen Elizabeth.”

Royal message

In a message to mark the Trust's 60th anniversary in 2013, 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.”   

Ten years earlier, Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, attended a service of thanksgiving at St Bartholomew the Great in Smithfield, to celebrate the Trust's 50th anniversary.

National Churches Trust is asking churches across the UK to display their Royal Proclamation on noticeboards or include it in their newsletters. Download the proclamation from National Churches Trust website.