Prince Charles is adding yet another title to his already extensive resume. The 72-year-old royal has agreed to become the Patron of Barts Heritage in honor of the upcoming 900th anniversary of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.
According to the Barts Heritage website, the charity is overseeing the restoration of Britain’s oldest hospital (which turns 900 years old in 2023) and is working in partnership with Bart’s Health NHS Trust, Barts Charity and the Church of St Bartholomew the Great. The Prince of Wales’s patronage period will cover the current $19 million fundraising appeal for restoring the historic North Wing and the Henry VIII Gatehouse on the hospital’s Smithfield site.
“We are hugely grateful to The Prince of Wales for his support and Patronage as we look forward to implementing our plans to conserve, repair and renovate these nationally important Grade I listed buildings,” Will Palin, chief executive of Barts Heritage, said in a statement. “Royal Patronage is an honor for our project, and will also give a massive boost to our forthcoming 900th fundraising campaign.”
Ian Peters, Chair of Barts Health NHS Trust, added, “We are thrilled to have the Prince’s support and Patronage for both Barts Heritage and the 900th-anniversary campaign. This will be an enormous help in realizing our aims to conserve the heritage of the hospital while also improving patient care and the working lives of our staff.”
We couldn’t think of anyone better to honor the rich history of Britain’s oldest hospital. After all, he is going to be king.
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