HRH The Duke of York visited the Royal Hospital School on the morning of Thursday 24 June. As the School’s ‘Official Visitor’ he was keen to see developments at the School since his last visit in October 2006.
The Royal Hospital School was established nearly 300 years ago in the buildings that now house the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. The School grew in size and aspiration and relocated to Suffolk in 1933.
Today the Royal Hospital School, in Holbrook, retains some of its naval traditions but is very much a mainstream independent school for boys and girls aged 11 to 18 years. The School has, however, been very fortunate to have benefited from the generous support of its parent charity, Greenwich Hospital.
This support has enabled the School to go through an £18 million five-year development programme including the refurbishment of boarding houses and day facilities and the building of a music school that would rival any in the country. It is these developments that the Duke was keen to see on a normal ‘working day’.
His tour included the music school and a short recital by some of the schools outstanding musicians, a visit to a girl’s boarding house, the new day house and to meet some lower school pupils in their new facilities. He was also able to view some of the art and design examination pieces on display in the schools exhibition atrium. The visit culminated with lunch in the school dining hall where the Duke insisted on eating and going through the servery with the rest of the School.
As the school approaches its Tercentenary Celebrations in 2012, it hopes to welcome HRH The Duke of York to take part in some of the RHS 300 programme of events planned.