Our Patron
Photograph: Her Majesty Queen Camilla greeting Moreland Primary School pupils who are waving flags decorated with their favourite book characters. Credit: WeShootLondon
Her Majesty The Queen
We are hugely grateful for the generous support of Her Majesty The Queen, who became Patron of the National Literacy Trust as HRH The Duchess of Cornwall in November 2010.
Her Majesty has a long-standing interest in literacy and reading and her invaluable support helps us to ensure children and adults across the UK have the literacy skills they need for a happier, healthier and more prosperous life.
Over the past 13 years The Queen has engaged with our work across the UK, with a particular focus on communities in our Literacy Hubs including Middlesbrough, Swindon, Peterborough and Stoke-on-Trent. Her Majesty has also hosted private receptions at Clarence House to honour those who make a valuable contribution to literacy in the UK.
A Royal reception hosted by Her Majesty The Queen to mark our 30th birthday
In July 2024, over 60 Literacy Champion volunteers, alongside partners, authors and ambassadors, trustees and staff, were present at a special reception hosted by The Queen at Clarence House. The reception was held to mark the National Literacy Trust’s 30th anniversary and celebrate all the ways we have championed literacy over the past three decades, working alongside some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities.
The Queen's most recent engagement
In May 2024, Moreland Primary School in Islington, London welcomed The Queen to officially open their new school library, celebrating the 50th primary school library in a special series to celebrate the 2023 Coronation and the 1,000th library as part of our Libraries for Primaries campaign.
On arrival, Her Majesty met a roundtable of Libraries for Primaries partners and author ambassadors, including Cressida Cowell and Chris Smith, to discuss the future of the campaign, which aims to provide all UK primary schools with a dedicated library or library space by 2028.
Her Majesty then joined a storytelling workshop led by Alim Kamara before officially opening the school library following a recital of One Thousand Libraries by Joseph Coelho, which the Waterstones Children’s Laureate penned exclusively for the occasion. The visit concluded with a performance from the school choir, as pupils waved flags decorated with drawings of their favourite book characters. Every child at the school also received a new book to take home and keep.
A library in a primary school is not only a wonderful resource and repository of books, it is an oasis, a special, magical place where children can discover more about themselves, their inner worlds and the world beyond their front door. This 1,000th library is an essential first step in a longed for future where every primary school can reap the benefits of their own glorious library.
Joseph Coelho, Waterstones Children’s Laureate
This new chapter for our library is a momentous occasion for our school and community. Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and the library will cement our aim to not only empower every child with the tools they need to succeed, but also foster a love of reading that lasts a lifetime. Access to books at home is limited for many of our children; this new library gives families the opportunity to share the joy of books together, regardless of their background or circumstance.
Catherine Lawrence, headteacher at Moreland Primary School