British royalty’s Rotary connection
As the world focuses on the demise of Queen Elizabeth II and ascension of Prince Charles to the throne, the deep connect the British Royal family has with Rotary has come under the spotlight. King Charles III is an honorary member of RC Banchory Ternan, RID 1010, Scotland, from 1992, and just this June he was given the Rotary Award of Honor by outgoing RI President Shekhar Mehta in Rwanda for his dedication to sustainability and biodiversity.
Charles has also been a committed advocate of global polio eradication efforts. In 2003, he had participated in a Polio NID programme in a village near Delhi. In 2013, during another visit to India, sporting the End Polio Now scarf, he had acknowledged Rotary’s tremendous efforts in eradicating polio in the country. In 2018 at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit he had praised Rotary for its polio eradication efforts.
His sister Princess Anne had addressed the Toronto Convention on polio. She is an honorary member of RC Elgin, Scotland. The late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip was an honorary member of the Rotary clubs of London, Edinburgh, King’s Lynn, Windsor St George and Windsor and Eton. RI presented the Queen, the Rotary Award of Honor at the Buckingham Palace in 2013 on the 60th anniversary of her coronation. She was a supporter of Rotary’s polio eradication and humanitarian missions.
Condoling the Queen’s passing RI President Jennifer Jones commended Queen Elizabeth’s “dedication to humanitarian causes and unwavering commitment to peace and the environment (which) deeply inspired Rotary members around the world, especially those in the Commonwealth countries.” n
