Her Majesty The Queen
Her Majesty The Queen was a supporter of Cruse for 38 years and became our Royal Patron in 1984.
We are deeply saddened by the death of our Royal Patron, Her Majesty the Queen. Her Majesty was a supporter of Cruse Bereavement Support for 38 years. She became our Royal Patron in 1984, Cruse’s Silver Jubilee year. A celebration was held at the Royal Albert Hall, attended by Her Majesty. Sir John Gielgud, Penelope Keith, Richard Briers, Wayne Sleep and others performed for volunteers across the UK.
In the years since, Her Majesty attended receptions at St James’ Palace held to celebrate our 40th, 50th and 60th anniversaries. Cruse was also one of the charities chosen to attend the Patrons lunch in 2016 to mark Her Majesty’s 90th birthday. We were one of only a few charities chosen as a Patron’s Hero, which was a great honour.
The most recent reception was at St James’s Palace in October 2019. The event was an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. Her Majesty met many individuals who have been instrumental in our work over the last 60 years, including volunteers who provided support after devastating events including 9/11 and the Grenfell Tower Fire.
Our deepest condolences go to the Royal Family.
The support of Her Majesty has meant so much over the years in recognising the incredible work that our volunteers do to support people after someone dies. We know the whole country will be feeling a great loss and we're here to support anyone who needs us at this time.
“When I became a Cruse Bereavement Support volunteer, never in my wildest dreams would I have expected it to lead to an opportunity to meet Her Majesty, The Queen. It was an honour and a privilege and I will always remember this moment with great fondness" Cruse Volunteer Yolanda Clarke
