About The Patron’s Lunch
On Sunday June 12th 2016, The Mall in St James’s Park was transformed for its largest ever street party to celebrate The Queen’s patronage of over 600 charities and organisations on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
The Patron’s Lunch was the climax to a fantastic weekend of celebrations. It began with a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 10th June followed by Trooping the Colour on Saturday 11th June and culminated with The Patron’s Lunch as the celebratory finale on the Sunday.
The Patron’s Lunch was an iconic event recognising the un-relenting support and service our Monarch has given to the community over her 63 year reign. The commitment to helping others was the cause for the National and Commonwealth wide celebration, inviting the very people and organisations she has helped over the decades.
On Sunday 12th June 2016 The Mall was home to a truly magnificent event, The Patron’s Lunch; a classic British ‘street party’ lunch for 10,000 guests, the first of its kind ever to be held on The Mall. The vast majority of tickets were made available to the ‘Patron’s Organisations’, the event provided a very special opportunity for all who have been touched by Her Majesty The Queen to publicly thank her and to be proud of the work and service that their own charity or organisation has provided to this nation or those nations across the Commonwealth.
Her Majesty The Queen was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family to celebrate the occasion. Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry were Joint-Presidents of The Patron’s Lunch; honouring the dedication shown by Her Majesty to so many charities and organisations.
Much to the thrill of the guests, The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge & Prince Harry along with other members of The Royal Family took part in a Royal walkabout greeting and talking with guests along The Mall, after this Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh followed down The Mall in their State Review Range Rover waving at the guests as they passed.
The day itself delivered an electric festival-themed atmosphere enjoyed not only by the guests on The Mall, but also by the general public who braved the weather to join the festivities at large screens situated in the Royal Parks, Green Park and St James’s Park.
Celebration In The Community
At the very heart of The Patron’s Lunch was a desire to give the British and Commonwealth public the chance to not only honour and thank Her Majesty for her extraordinary commitment to others, but to also inspire communities the length and breadth of the nation to do the same. The Patron’s Lunch re-ignited the famous British ‘community spirit’ and villages, towns and cities all over the UK and across the Commonwealth held their own street parties. These local ‘Patron’s Lunches’ we hope have helped raise money for their own communities and local initiatives. In addition to the fundraising generated at a local level, the event will also serve as a unique platform for the charitable organisations to which The Queen acts as Patron, to maximize their own fundraising efforts.
This not-for-profit event is raising money for a newly created charitable fund – The Patron’s Fund, which will support the charitable organisations within the UK and across the Commonwealth to which Her Majesty The Queen acts as a Patron.