King Charles III named as new Patron of the Royal Society of Medicine

We are deeply honoured and proud that His Majesty King Charles III has been confirmed as the new Patron of the Royal Society of Medicine. 

Buckingham Palace confirmed the news to mark the first anniversary of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen. 

It follows the completion of a major review of patronages held by The late Queen, The former Prince of Wales and The former Duchess of Cornwall. 

The charity’s former Patron was Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 

Professor Roger Kirby, President of the Royal Society of Medicine, said: “We are immensely proud that His Majesty The King is our new Patron. 

“We are extremely grateful to His Majesty and other members of the Royal Family for the continued support they have shown the Society during our longstanding relationship.”  

The Royal Society of Medicine’s royal heritage can be traced back to 1834 when the first Royal Charter was granted by King William IV. The subsequent granting of a Supplemental Charter by King Edward VII was followed in 1912 by the official opening of the Society’s new building on the corner of Wimpole Street and Henrietta Place by King George V and Queen Mary. We are proud to say that we remain at this address. 

We were particularly honoured to receive His Majesty The King during events celebrating the Society’s Bicentenary in 2006.  This was followed in 2012 with a paper written by His Majesty for the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine: ‘Integrated health and post-modern medicine’.  In 2021, His Majesty was kind enough to record a video message to open the Society’s 10-part webinar series on the health emergency of climate change. 

We look forward to working with His Majesty to advance our mission of “better healthcare for better lives".