Celebratory lunch to honour the Queen’s 70 years as member of Drapers’ Company
THE Queen has celebrated her 70-year association with the prestigious Drapers’ Company – believed to be only the third institution that has her as a member.
It is thought only the Church of Scotland and the Sandringham branch of the Women’s Institute (WI) can boast a similar connection to the monarch.
The Queen followed in the footsteps of her father George VI, who was a draper before her, when on May 20, 1947 she was admitted to the freedom of the company.
Penny Fussell, the company’s archivist, showed the Queen documents, letters and photographs illustrating the monarch’s long association with the Drapers, a company whose roots date back to the 13th century.
Ms Fussell said: “The fact that the Queen is a draper is something we’re immensely proud of and today she’s been made a member of our Court – she’s the only sovereign who has ever been a member of our governing body.”
The Drapers’ Company was founded more than 650 years ago and has been incorporated by Royal Charter.
Following a celebratory lunch of home cured and smoked sea trout, the Queen signed an Instrument – a document written on vellum – that formally recorded her attendance at the lunch.