At a ceremony in Buckingham Palace on 9 March 2023, the Lieutenancy exercised its right to address the King in person on His accession to the Throne and the Coronation as a “Privileged Body” along with 26 other organisations that have the same right. The ceremony, which dates back to the 17th century, last took place 10 years ago on the occasion of the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The Privileged Bodies were described by the Palace as “culturally significant organisations and institutions that reflect the United Kingdom’s diverse society”. Dame Fiona Woolf, who chairs the Standing Committee of the Lieutenancy delivered the Lieutenancy’s verbal Address and then handed this illuminated and framed version [see below] to the King who received it most warmly. She was amongst a group of delegation leaders drawn from religious, civic, arts, education and science institutions that included the Lord Mayor of London and the Governor of the Bank of England (who are also Lieutenants [ex officio]), the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Mayor of London, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh and the Chancellors/ Vice Chancellors of seven universities.
In His response to all the Loyal Addresses, the King said that he had been reminded of the importance of values saying “These are values that have been at the core of British life throughout our history and which, with your dedicated support, I trust will remain so for centuries to come”.
Click here to see the Speech by His Majesty The King at the Presentation of Loyal Addresses by Privileged Bodies
