Coram has been supported by royals from the early days of the Foundling Hospital. It is thought that Queen Caroline, wife of King George II, knew about Thomas Coram’s campaign for abandoned children via the 21 Ladies of Quality and Distinction who signed his petition. She was certainly interested in projects aimed at supporting vulnerable women and children and after she died her husband signed the Royal Charter that established the Foundling Hospital.
Royal visits
More recently, several prominent members of the Royal Family have visited the charity or charity projects to show their support for our work with vulnerable children. In 1918, Queen Mary, wife of George V, saw Foundling Hospital pupils at work in their classrooms while her son Prince Albert, later George VI, was photographed in 1919 inspecting the Foundling Hospital juvenile organisation.
In 1926, King George V and Queen Mary were photographed together at the Foundling Hospital. Later in 1936, Queen Mary visited again with her grandchildren, Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. Also in 1936, the year Prince Albert succeeded to the throne as George VI, his wife, the Duchess of York (Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) attended the Foundling Hospital Day Nursery and Toddlers Play Centre.
In 1949, it was the turn of her daughter, Princess Margaret who visited the Coram offices on the site of the current Foundling Museum.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the Thomas Coram Foundation for Children Children’s Centre in 1975 and Coram Campus again in 2009 when she was entertained by a choir of children singing Handel’s ‘Hallelujah Chorus’. In 1990 Diana, Princess of Wales, met families at one of Coram’s outreach projects.
On December 5 2018 The Queen visited again and opened a new building dedicated to children and named in her honour – The Queen Elizabeth II Centre. During her visit, The Queen met Edward Newton, aged 102, the oldest surviving pupil of the Foundling Hospital. The occasion was particularly poignant for Mr. Newton who also met King George V and Queen Mary during their 1926 visit to the Foundling Hospital.
On 2 February 2023, Coram welcomed Her Majesty Queen Camilla (then Queen Consort) to its offices in central London for a celebration marking the 50th anniversary of its reading volunteer programme, Coram Beanstalk. She met staff, volunteers, children and families from across the group, before signing the historic visitors’ book in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth II building.
Royal signatures
Coram’s relationship with The Royal Family began in 1739, when King George II signed a Royal Charter, creating the original Foundling Hospital.
Over 250 years after it was signed, during her 2018 visit to the charity, The Queen viewed The Royal Charter, with Coram’s Chief Executive Dr Carol Homden and Paul Curran, a Coram Trustee.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926 – 2022
Coram is deeply saddened at the passing of Her Majesty The Queen and we pay tribute to her lifelong support of our work and dedicated service to the nation.
Dr Carol Homden, Coram Group CEO, says:
“We treasure the memories of Her Majesty’s meetings with children, staff, former pupils and volunteers and will remember always the joy this brought us all and the inspiration of her dedicated service to all parts of the nation and the Commonwealth.”
Her Majesty Queen Camilla
Her Majesty The Queen accepted the invitation to be our Patron in May 2024, building on her long association with Coram Beanstalk. The announcement was made to coincide with the anniversary of the Coronation and follows a review of all patronages.
It celebrates the long association of the Royal Family with Coram since the granting of the Royal Charter in 1739 and Her Majesty’s commitment to all our work and to the children and families we support.