Christ’s Hospital Student Delivers Loyal Address to His Majesty King Charles III
Christ’s Hospital is extraordinary in many ways. But perhaps none more so than with their tradition of the Loyal Address, whereby the most senior student addresses a new monarch.
From Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I
In 1553, when Christ’s Hospital student Edmund Campion was just 13 and the school was barely a year old, Edmund was chosen to present an address at Aldgate to the future Queen Mary as she was escorted by the Lord Mayor into the City of London on her way to the Tower of London for her coronation.
Queen Mary was not a fan of the school and ignored the boy, but the idea of the Loyal Address had been formed.
In the centuries since, there has been a Loyal Address by a student of Christ’s Hospital to almost every new monarch. More often written down rather than spoken, the address is given during the first official royal visit to, or through, the City of London, where a monarch asks the Lord Mayor for permission to enter the City.
Sometimes the address has been given the day before a coronation such as with Elizabeth I, who received her greeting in January 1559, or after, as was the case with James I whose visit to the City was postponed due to the plague. And our last King Charles, Charles II, accepted an address at the churchyard of St Paul’s Cathedral on the eve of his coronation at Westminster Abbey.
To Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III
It’s been 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II received the Loyal Address on 9th June 1953 delivered by Senior Grecian Barrie Johnston in a written scroll on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral a week after Queen Elizabeth II had been crowned. But on 18 October 2023, at Mansion House, this fantastic tradition saw His Majesty King Charles III receive the Loyal Address from Senior Grecian and head student of Christ’s Hospital, Zaphaneth Puplampu.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were attending a dinner in their honour at Mansion House, held by the City of London. Zaphaneth Puplampu had the privilege of delivering the Loyal Address to the Royal party by way of a speech, before approaching the King’s table to present him with the written version.
Zaphaneth said of the experience: ‘I am incredibly honoured to have had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of addressing the King at Mansion House. The whole event was surreal; I was surrounded by great people in an amazing setting, and I’m very grateful to have done it on behalf of the students of Christ’s Hospital!’
Christ’s Hospital was established in 1552 by King Edward VI and is the UK’s leading charitable school and largest bursary charity. It actively seeks pupils of potential, who often come from varied and complex backgrounds and provides free or substantially reduced cost places to ensure that children have access to first-class education no matter their background.
Find out more about this extraordinary school at: www.christs-hospital.org.uk
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