In 1971, to mark the British Legion’s 50th anniversary, Her Majesty granted the charity its Royal Charter.  

Both before and since then, Her Majesty has offered years of dedicated support to the RBL on many occasions, attending numerous events on our behalf. She first attended the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in 1945 as the then19-year-old Princess Elizabeth. As Queen, she has attended every Festival with members of the Royal Family except for three occasions.

Her Majesty attended the dedication of the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in 2007 and the official opening of Haig House, the charity’s London headquarters, in 2009. She sat for an official portrait to mark the charity’s 90th anniversary in 2011. Most recently, Her Majesty attended a service of celebration at Westminster Abbey in October 2021 to celebrate the RBL’s 100th anniversary, where she was accompanied by HRH The Princess Royal, President of the RBL Women’s Section. 

The Queen was joined by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and Prince George in 2019 to launch the RBL’s ‘Together at Christmas’ initiative. During the launch at Buckingham Palace, as she continuously did throughout her reign, Her Majesty took the time to meet and talk with Service men and women of all ranks, and their families. Her kindness, grace, humanity and genuine interest in their experiences meant a great deal to all who encountered her on that day as it has on the many occasions when she has met with veterans, serving members of the Armed Forces and their families.

Her Majesty has been an inspiration to us all, from her unwavering sense of duty to her devotion to a lifetime of service. Her enduring dedication to the Armed Forces will be deeply missed and never forgotten and we send our sincere condolences to the Royal Family at this time.