New charity established to honor Queen Elizabeth II's 100th birth anniversary

A new charity, the Queen Elizabeth Trust, has been established to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's birth.

The UK government has provided £40 million in funding to support the initiative, which aims to restore community shared spaces across the country.

King Charles III has been named patron of the trust, which reflects the late Queen's lifelong dedication to public service and her belief that "everyone is our neighbour." The charity will focus on revitalizing underused buildings and green spaces, as well as providing communities with skills and training to organise local events.

Sir Damon Buffini, who will chair the Queen Elizabeth Trust, described the project as an opportunity to support communities and bring shared spaces back to life, creating places where people of all ages and backgrounds can meet and connect.

This initiative is one of three memorial projects established to honour the Queen's legacy of public service.

It follows a tradition of living memorials, such as the King George V playing fields project, which was set up after the death of the Queen's grandfather in 1936 to protect recreational grounds.

The centenary of Queen Elizabeth II's birth on 21 April 2026 is being marked by various events, including a visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla to the British Museum to view plans for a national memorial in St James Park, London.

The Princess Royal will also officially open the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent's Park.

Additionally, Buckingham Palace announced that historian Dr Anna Keay will write the late monarch's official authorised biography.

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