King Charles agrees to take over Queen's role at Surrey school

King Charles has accepted the Patronage of Gordon’s School. This will continue the tradition of the reigning Sovereign’s Patronage since Queen Victoria became its first Patron in 1885.

The school, in West End, Surrey, was chosen after an analysis of over 1,000 patronages held by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The announcement comes as King Charles and Queen Camilla mark the first anniversary of their Coronation.

Gordon’s School began as Gordon’s Boys’ Home and was built by public subscription after Queen Victoria demanded a fitting tribute to General Gordon following his death in 1885 in Khartoum. The home for ‘necessitous’ boys was, and today as the school remains, the National Memorial to the philanthropic war hero.

The boys’ home evolved into a school for boys before admitting girls in 1990. It is now one of this country’s most successful schools and was recently awarded a seventh ‘Outstanding’ OFSTED inspection. It attracts students from all over the world and excels in academic, sport and creative arts achievements.

The late Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh attended the school’s centenary celebrations in 1985 and unveiled a plaque to commemorate the visit and together with Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, generously donated to the Centenary Appeal Fund, which raised over £300,000 to modernise school buildings.

While HM King Charles has not visited Gordon’s, his brother the Duke of Edinburgh last came to the school in January 2023 to open the new Sports Hub. Every year the students, led by the school’s iconic Pipes and Drums Band, honours its Sovereign Patron with its Patron’s Parade in June and the National Anthem is sung at whole school gatherings.

The school has said this year’s Patron’s Parade promises to be a particularly special occasion. Gordon’s headmaster, Andrew Moss, said: “We are honoured and delighted that His Majesty King Charles has accepted the Patronage of Gordon’s and is continuing this historical tradition. We look forward to welcoming our new Sovereign Patron to the school in the future."