British Red Cross welcomes His Majesty King Charles III as new Patron

The British Red Cross welcomes His Majesty King Charles III as new Patron.

Béatrice Butsana-Sita, CEO of the British Red Cross, said: 

“The British Red Cross is delighted to welcome His Majesty King Charles III as our new Patron.  
 
“His Majesty has been an active supporter of the Red Cross for many years, generously sharing his time and deep commitment to supporting people in crisis here in the UK and around the world.  
 
“In every engagement with the Red Cross, His Majesty has shown his heartfelt concern for those in crisis. We look forward to his continued support for the lifesaving work we do at home and overseas.  
 
“His Majesty follows a long and proud tradition of royal patronage for the British Red Cross which goes back to our formation in 1870 when Queen Victoria became our first patron.”  

King Charles is the seventh monarch to serve as Patron of the British Red Cross, in its 153 year history. He has succeeded Her Majesty Queen Elizbaeth II, who was Patron for 70 years.

As HRH Prince of Wales, His Majesty was appointed president of the charity in 2003 in succession to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (who had held the post since 1998). 

In his role as our president, His Majesty King Charles supported the work of the Red Cross in many ways. Some examples of his kind support included: 

• He visited Iran to see the devastating effects of the 2003 Bam earthquake.
• His Majesty hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate 100 years of our first Royal Charter in summer 2008.  
• In 2017 King Charles praised the work of Red Cross volunteers after visiting the Westway Sports Centre in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy.  
• In 2022, Their Majesties The King and Queen also showed their support for the Ukrainian community during a visit to the Ukrainian Catholic School in London, where British Red Cross representatives from our refugee services joined the visit alongside other humanitarian organisations to offer practical support.  
• In 2023, their Majesties also held an event at Titanic Belfast, focused on care and support for those seeking sanctuary in Northern Ireland, meeting with four people who had been supported by the Red Cross.  His Majesty held a reception in November 2023 recognising the work of the Disasters Emergencies Committee and humanitarians working in the UK and around the world, where British Red Cross colleagues were recognised for their humanitarian contribution. 
• His Majesty King Charles III has also generously supported the work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, providing vital support at times of crisis. This has included donating to our Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory Appeal and to Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society following the devastating earthquakes earlier this year. His Majesty The King continues to recognise the contribution of volunteers and staff to supporting people in crisis across the UK, the Commonwealth and globally.  

ENDS  
 
The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies. We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad to prepare for and withstand emergencies in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them to recover and move on with their lives.