Greenwich’s royal connections through history
Greenwich was granted Royal Borough status in 2012, but its royal links span over a thousand years.
Royal Greenwich has played an important role in Britain’s royal and maritime history. From royal charters to knighthoods, and patronage of landmark institutions
Royal Patronage
The Cutty Sark is under the patronage of the Duke of Edinburgh.
The National Maritime Museum is supported by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duke of York.
The Firepower Museum has the Queen as its patron.
Trinity College is supported by the Duke of Kent.
Royal Charters
- 918 Elfridce (Elstrudis) gives Lewisham with Greenwich, Woolwich, Mottingham and Coomb to the Abbey of St Peter at Ghent
- 964 Confirmed by Edgar
- 1044 Charter of Edward the Confessor reaffirming grant to Ghent
- 1081 Charter of William the Conqueror reaffirming grant to Ghent
- c.1120 Charter of Henry I reaffirming grant to Ghent
- c.1165 Charter of Henry II reaffirming grant to Ghent
- 1209 Charter of King John reaffirming grant to Ghent.
Knighthoods awarded in Greenwich
- 1581 Elizabeth I knighted Sir Francis Drake on board the Golden Hind at Deptford Dockyard
- 1967 Elizabeth II used same sword to knight Sir Francis Chichester at Greenwich
- 1714 George I knighted Sir John Vanbrugh, surveyor to the Royal Hospital, and Sir William Sanderson, Captain of the Peregrine.