Following the death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, his first ever patronage have issued an official statement thanking him for his generous support over the decades.
London Youth, formerly known as the London Federation of Boys Club, was the very first of many charitable organisations that Prince Philip devoted his time and support to.
In March 1948 he attended the charity’s boxing finals at the Royal Albert Hall, one of his first solo engagements after becoming a patron in 1947.
The charity’s statement reads: “During his 74 years of patronage, Prince Philip was a tireless advocate of positive opportunities for young people, visiting hundreds of our member youth organisations and clubs, meeting with young people and youth workers to listen to their experiences.”
Prince Philip hosted an event at Buckingham Palace in 2017 to celebrate a joint milestone of 70 years as a patron of the charity and London Youth’s 130th anniversary.
“We brought together young people, youth workers and supporters from across London to celebrate and recognise the wonderful work that happens every day in youth organisations across the capital. At that event, Prince Philip was awarded a medal in recognition of his service to young Londoners,” London Youth added in their statement.
In 2020 the Duke of Edinburgh asked his son, His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex to take over the patronage of London Youth.
You can read all of SWL’s Prince Philip coverage here.
Featured Image: By Flickr user Steve Punter – Looking at City Hall on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0,
