KING CHARLES III ANNOUNCED AS RNLI’S NEW PATRON

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has announced that His Majesty King Charles III is to become the new Patron of the lifesaving charity – and his first experience of the charity’s work was right here on the Isle of Wight. King Charles III succeeds Queen Elizabeth II and continues the tradition of patronage for the charity by the reigning monarch, which began when the RNLI was founded in 1824 with King George IV as its first Patron. The current King has a long history with the RNLI and has made several visits to lifeboat stations and sites over the years. The most recent was a visit to St Ives RNLI Lifeboat Station in July last year, accompanied by Queen Camilla, as part of Their Majesties’ first official visit to Cornwall following the Coronation. But King Charles’ first ever experience of the RNLI was on 7th July 1964 when, as the-then Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness accompanied Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and HRH The Princess Royal to Cowes to observe the sea trials of a new Waveney class lifeboat. The appointment of His Majesty King Charles III as Patron has been approved by the RNLI Trustee Board, in line with the charity’s constitution and byelaws. The RNLI has stations at Bembridge, Cowes and Yarmouth, with the Inshore Centre at East Cowes.