The Queen will step down as patron of more than 20 national organisations this year as she begins handing her duties over to other Royals
Buckingham Palace said she will follow in her husband's footsteps after he resigned on his 90th birthday
THE Queen will step down as patron from more than 20 national organisations at the end of her 90th birthday year, Buckingham Palace said.
The Queen, who celebrated her 90th birthday in April, will relinquish her association with the bodies – just as the Duke of Edinburgh broke formal ties with some of his patronages when he turned 90 in 2011.
The patronages will be passed on to other members of the Royal Family by the end of this year, including Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Barnardo’s, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “At the end of the Queen’s 90th birthday year, Her Majesty will step down as patron from a number of national organisations.
“The patronages will be passed on to other members of the Royal Family in the coming months.
“Her Majesty is currently patron of more than 600 organisations and has enjoyed a close and active association with a great number of them throughout her reign.
“Her Majesty will continue to serve as patron to hundreds of charities and institutions but will now share this work with her family.
“Many of the organisations listed below already have other members of the Royal Family as vice-patrons or presidents, which will ensure a smooth transition.
“This decision follows the example set by the Duke of Edinburgh who resigned from a number of patronages on the occasion of his 90th birthday in 2011.”
More than 3,000 organisations list a member of the Royal Family as their patron or president.
Buckingham Palace stressed the monarch is still patron of more than 600 organisations, despite rolling back on her royal duties.
The announcement was made today ahead of the Queen’s Speech on Sunday.
Queen Elizabeth II is currently the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
She has spent 60 years on the throne after being crowned in 1953.
The occasion was celebrated in June 2012 with the Diamond Jubilee.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368