Cumberland Lodge

Cumberland Lodge is an educational charity based in a former Royal residence in Windsor Great Park. We run a programme of cross-disciplinary conferences and seminars on topical societal and ethical issues involving leading scholars and people in public life, and support university students across the UK by hosting study retreats. Each year over 3,000 students visit the Lodge.

The charity was the vision of Amy Buller, who had a particular concern for the moral formation of young people. In 1944, Amy Buller was invited to Buckingham Palace to discuss her ideas with Queen Elizabeth – an event Amy Buller later described as ‘my miracle’. As a result of that meeting, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth became supporters of her idea to set up a centre for students to meet to discuss moral and spiritual issues. When Cumberland Lodge became available in 1947, King George VI granted the newly formed St Catharine’s Foundation use of Cumberland Lodge by Royal Warrant, which was renewed by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1952. Queen Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) was Patron of St Catharine’s (which later became known simply as ‘Cumberland Lodge’) from 1947 until her death in 2002. Her Majesty The Queen succeeded her mother as Patron in 2003.

The charity has close links with universities across the UK, and with a range of other institutions such as the Inns of Court. In 2014 we introduced a scholarship scheme to enable postgraduate students who demonstrate a commitment for working for ‘the betterment of society’ to receive training and mentoring through participating in our conferences. In 2017 we will renew Amy Buller’s founding vision by launching a programme for international students to discuss some of the world’s most problematic human rights issues concerning freedom of religion or belief.

Find out more by visiting:- www.cumberlandlodge.ac.uk

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