The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK Group) is delighted to confirm that His Majesty King Charles has agreed to become the charity’s royal patron, following a review of over 1,000 patronages held by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles’ acceptance of the royal patronage is a continuation of the longstanding and treasured relationship between SPCK Group and the royal family, which dates back to Queen Anne in 1695.
Queen Anne – while she was still a princess – donated money to our founder, Thomas Bray, for his mission of sending books to encourage learning overseas, an initiative which led to the foundation of SPCK as a publisher and charity a few years later.
In 1839, Queen Victoria formalised the relationship between SPCK and the royal family, becoming our first royal patron: a tradition which has been continued by each of her regnal successors.
SPCK has been active since 1698, and is the UK’s third-oldest publishing house. Under CEO Sam Richardson, the company merged with IVP in 2015 and Lion Hudson in 2021, becoming the largest Christian publisher in the country.
Sam Richardson, CEO of SPCK Group, says: “We are deeply honoured that His Majesty, King Charles, has become our new royal patron, retaining the historic connection between SPCK Group and the royal family that we, as an organisation, cherish. We were privileged to have the support of the late Queen Elizabeth II as our patron, as well as to have had links to the royal family since the 17th Century, and we are excited to renew this relationship through the patronage of King Charles in 2024 and beyond”.
Press contact: Emily Beater, ebeater@spck.org.uk
