Tim Arthur, Chief Executive of the RAD said: ‘It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the death of our Patron, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Together, we have celebrated so many milestones for the Royal Academy of Dance and for dance in this country. We have been privileged to have had Her Majesty as our Patron for 69 years and our staff, members, and students – along with the whole nation – feel the loss of a remarkable monarch who lived her life in service to us all.’
Queen Elizabeth II became Patron of the RAD in 1953, succeeding her grandmother, Queen Mary. To mark the coronation, our then president, Dame Adeline Genée, instituted the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award, to be presented annually in recognition of outstanding services to the art of ballet. This is still our most prestigious honour, and has been awarded in Her Majesty’s name to some of the most famous names in ballet, including Sir Frederick Ashton, Dame Marie Rambert, Dame Ninette de Valois, Dame Gillian Lynne, Rudolf Nureyev, Sir Matthew Bourne and Carlos Acosta.
The RAD welcomed Queen Elizabeth to open its new headquarters in Battersea 1974, and the Fonteyn Centre Studios in 1990. We were honoured to be involved in her 90th birthday celebrations: Dame Darcey Bussell performed at this special event alongside RAD teachers and students.
The Queen’s patronage has been hugely important in supporting the RAD in its mission to advocate for benefits of dance and the arts in communities all around the world.
