Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and The King’s School, Worcester

During her long reign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited and met representatives of The King’s School on a number of occasions.  Here we reflect with gratitude on the relationship between Her Majesty and The King’s School, Worcester. 

Her Majesty became Queen Elizabeth II upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952.  The Editorial of the subsequent issue of The Vigornian, produced in July 1952, noted that: 
[The past school year] has, of course, been marred greatly by the death of King George VI—an event which caused some consternation and sorrow throughout the School. We can, however, only hope that the new Elizabethan Age will once more bring with it an era of prosperity and well being.

Meanwhile, the School Notes section recorded that on 8 February 1952, “members of the Sixth Form attended the Proclamation of Elizabeth II at the Guildhall.  This proved to be a very interesting experience, and will not soon be forgotten by those privileged to witness it.”  Thus, senior pupils at King’s represented the School at local events marking the very beginning of the Queen’s reign. 

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on 2 June 1953 in Westminster Abbey.  The ceremony – with the exception of the anointing and communion – was broadcast live on television; it was also possible to watch at cinemas after the event.  The Summer 1953 issue of The Vigornian records that, “A special showing of the magnificent colour film ‘A Queen is Crowned’ was enjoyed by the School at the Odeon cinema on the morning of Monday, June 15th.”  Moreover, we know of at least two Old Vigornians who were present in person, in a professional capacity, on the day itself.  Geary Skinner (Dayboy 1945-1948), a corporal in the Life Guards, “was honoured by being one of the four Life Guards to escort the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret to and from Westminster Abbey on Coronation Day.”  Likewise, Thomas Alleyne Brown (Castle, Tredennyke and Choir House 1946-52) “passed out of Mons Officer Cadet School in June and marched in the Coronation procession.” 

1960 saw the centenary year of the Combined Cadet Force.  The occasion was marked with a parade held at Buckingham Palace in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen (Captain-General of the CCF) and the Duke of Edinburgh (Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Cadet Force).  The King’s School CCF was represented at the event by C.S.M. Smith, P.O. Webb, and Corporal Garden.  The Autumn 1960 issue of The Vigornian notes: 
The Cadets, in twelve companies totalling some fifteen hundred, were ferried across London in a convoy of coaches to Wellington Barracks. Here the Parade formed up and marched to Buckingham Palace with the Bands of the Irish Guards and the Junior Wing Royal Marines … The Parade was drawn up behind the Palace and was inspected by the Queen the Duke. The Queen was then presented with a book containing a history of the CCF. The Parade then marched past, the Banners being carried by a Colour Party from Hurstpierpoint College. After lunch the Cadets attended a Celebration Service in Westminster Abbey. As well as fittingly marking the centenary the parade was a very memorable occasion for all those who took part.

Visiting the city of Worcester itself, Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip attended Worcester Cathedral’s Royal Maundy service on 3 April 1980.  The Vigornian recalls that the service was “truly memorable”, during which “the Choristers sang magnificently”.  Photographer Tom Bader managed to capture a smiling Queen Elizabeth II entering the Old Palace with Dean Tom Baker, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and Bishop Robin Woods (far left). 

1980s/1097: Photograph of HM The Queen visiting Worcester Cathedral for Royal Maundy Service, 3 April 1980
Photograph © Tom Bader

Following the gradual integration of girls into the Sixth Form from 1971, The King’s School elected its first Queen’s Scholar, Catherine Boulton (Co 1980-1982), during Evensong at Worcester Cathedral on 22 March 1982.  Her Majesty approved the school’s plans of introducing Queen’s Scholarships, as The Vigornian made clear in 1982: 
As the number of girls in our Sixth Form has steadily increased, so has it seemed more and more inappropriate that there have been no scholarships available to girls. The boys’ King’s Scholarships date from the reign of Henry VIII, upon whose initiative the King’s School was established. It seemed therefore appropriate that the girls, whose presence in the School dates only from the reign of the present Queen, should be awarded Queen’s Scholarships, an idea all the more attractive in the light of the recent visit of the Queen to Worcester on Maundy Thursday 1980. To our great delight, the Queen, responding to the approaches of our former Bishop, Robin Woods, was graciously pleased to approve the plan and Cathy was the unanimous choice of members of staff.

1989 saw the 800th anniversary celebrations of the granting of Worcester’s City Charter.  The occasion was marked on 10 November 1989 by a visit to the city by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.  The 1990 issue of The Vigornian tells us: 
They came to College Green on their way to visit the Cathedral and inspect the preparations for the restoration work. The School saw them arrive, and a number of King’s and Queen’s Scholars spoke to the Queen or the Duke in the Cathedral. It was a splendid day all round, and the participation of the School underlined our involvement with both Cathedral and City.

It was during the School’s 450th anniversary celebrations that the Queen had her most direct contact with King’s.  As part of year-long celebrations, seven of the King’s Schools which were founded or re–founded in 1541 joined together on 12 November 1991 to perform a Choir Schools Concert, A Celebration of Kings, at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.  The concert was attended by nearly 800 members of the School, parents and staff; and over 140 pupils performed in the orchestra or in the choir.  Indeed, The King’s School, Worcester provided by far the largest contingent of singers and musicians of any of the seven schools involved.  A write-up of the event, by Senior Mistress Patricia Sanger (KSW Staff 1990-2004), appeared in The Vigornian: 
A Celebration of Kings – the Concert in the Royal Albert Hall

On Tuesday, 12th November, 1991, in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, the combined choirs and orchestras of seven King’s Schools performed ‘A Celebration of Kings’ in the Royal Albert Hall. The concert, under the direction of Sir David Willcocks, was to mark the 450th Anniversary of the foundation, or refoundation, by King Henry VIII of the King’s Schools of Canterbury, Chester, Ely Gloucester, Peterborough, Rochester and Worcester.

The massed choirs numbered over seven hundred, filling the whole Organ Gallery, and the orchestra, on the stage, numbered over a hundred. Over 140 of our pupils took part in the programme of English music of choral and orchestral works by Elgar, Handel, Walton, Parry Arnold and Howells, many of which have been performed at Coronations or other Royal occasions over the past 250 years.

The Headmaster [John Moore, KSW HM 1983-1998] and Mrs Moore, with the other Headmasters and their wives, joined the Royal Party in the Royal Box. Mr and Mrs Donald Howell [KSW Chair of Governors 1986-2010], Mr and Mrs David Brookshaw [KSW Director of Music 1989-2013], The Dean, and 11 of our performers were also presented to Her Majesty and Prince Philip at a Special Reception during the interval.

It was a delightfully memorable evening, most of all for the participants, but also for the hundreds of Governors, Parents, Staff and Pupils who had travelled from Worcester to hear such splendid music-making and to be part of a very special, historic occasion.

124/1978: Programme for “A Celebration of Kings”, 12 November 1991