On 30 January 1965, a worldwide television audience estimated at 350 million watched as the coffin of Sir Winston Churchill was carried along the River Thames to his State Funeral. At lunchtime on Friday 30 January, as part of the Churchill 2015 commemorations, the restored Port of London Authority vessel Havengore will retrace that journey with pupils from the Royal Hospital School in Suffolk, playing an important part in the proceedings.
The Guard of the Royal Hospital School will march from the Tower of London to HMS President, the shore establishment of the Royal Naval Reserve, to provide a ceremonial line and salute to ancestors of Churchill. As Havengore casts off from HMS President at around 12.40 the Band of the Royal Hospital School will play ‘Rule Britannia’, ‘Jerusalem’ and the ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic ’ with members of the Churchill family, and others closely connected, on board. The procession will pass under Tower Bridge, which will be raised in honour of Sir Winston Churchill and there will be a four gun salute from HMS Belfast and another by HQS Wellington.
The event will culminate in a service and wreath-laying in the waters of the river opposite the Palace of Westminster. The wreath-bearers will be army personnel who have been involved in recent conflicts such as Afghanistan and Iraq and the Royal Hospital School Guard will be present echoing the role the Navy had at the State Funeral of pulling the gun carriage.
The Head of Ceremonial at the Royal Hospital School, Lt Cdr (Retd) N M Griffiths QGM, said, “I am delighted that the School Guard and Band has been selected to commemorate one of the most poignant moments in modern history. It is a great honour to be a part of the 50th anniversary of Sir Winston’s state funeral and a fantastic privilege for our pupils to meet descendants of the Churchill family”
The Royal Hospital School, which is part of the Crown Charity Greenwich Hospital, was founded more than 300 years ago to educate the sons of seafarers and is historically known as ‘the Cradle of the Navy’. Today the School is a mainstream independent coeducational school for around 700 pupils set in 200-acres of Suffolk countryside but it continues to have very strong ties with the Royal Navy. Pupils at this unique school continue to celebrate naval traditions including the wearing of No1 naval uniforms and taking part in ceremonial parades at least eight times a year, led by the Band and Guard.
For more information www.royalhospitalschool.org or contact Sophie Braybrooke, Director of Communications on 01473 326294 sbraybrooke@royalhospitalschool.org