‘Forward-looking and practical’: statement on the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh
Fellowship news
His deep commitment to public service and conservation represents the very best of the RSA’s values.
Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II
The RSA was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, our Patron on 8 September 2022.
The Queen’s involvement with the RSA began when she became our President in 1947. She then became our Patron following her coronation in 1953. There is no one with a longer association with the RSA. We would like to extend our enduring thanks for her service to the RSA, the country and the Commonwealth.
Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh being greeted on their arrival at RSA House by Michael Frye, Chairman of Council and Christopher Lucas, Director for the reception and dinner to mark the 40th anniversary of the Duke becoming President of the RSA. Dated 14 July 1993.
A lifetime of service
Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was patron of the RSA for the entirety of her reign. As Princess Elizabeth, she had been named the RSA’s president in 1947 - its first female president, until her accession in 1952. Her inauguration as president marked the re-opening of the Great Room for the first time since 1941, when its roof and floor had been damaged by a blast from a parachute mine during first world war - the work was completed just hours before the ceremony.
As president, in 1949 she accepted the Society's portrait of Dame Caroline Haslett, who in 1941 had been the first woman to be elected to the RSA's governing Council. She also opened both the meeting to begin organising the Festival of Britain of 1951, echoing the role played by her great great grandfather Prince Albert in initiating the Great Exhibition of 1851, and the RSA's highly popular Exhibition of Humorous Art in 1949. In 1958 the RSA awarded Her Majesty its Albert Medal, for having 'undertaken public engagements on a scale greatly exceeding that of any previous reign' to promote arts, manufactures, and commerce, by conducting overseas visits, touring industrial areas, and opening major infrastructure projects throughout Britain and the Commonwealth.
Even after 75 years of dedicated service, for which the RSA gives its enduring thanks, Her Majesty’s words about the RSA House at her inauguration in 1947 still ring true:
[It] has been the scene of many outstanding discussions in which great artists, scientists and philanthropists have played their distinguished parts. May it continue, for many years to come…
HRH The Princess Elizabeth with Sir Harry Lindsay, Chairman of Council at the opening of the 194th session of the Society. Dated 5 November 1947.
HRH The Princess Elizabeth at the opening of the 194th session of the Society. Dated 5 November 1947.
Portrait of Her Majesty The Queen, by Christian Furr FRSA, the youngest artist to be officially commissioned to paint Queen Elizabeth II. Dated 1995.
Portrait of Her Majesty The Queen, by Rob Munday FRSA. Dated 2004.
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