RAF Club hosts royal reception
The Royal Air Force Club in London's Piccadilly has hosted a gathering of Royal Honorary Air Commodores to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee year as patron of the Club.
Her Majesty was the guest of honour at the event on 28 June which saw 11 members of the Royal Family, in their roles of Honorary Air Commodores of RAF stations, attend a reception and luncheon.
A key role of the Royal Honorary Air Commodores is to raise the profile of their respective RAF stations, a task that recently saw the Duchess of Cornwall accept the Freedom of Entry to Thame as part of her official duties as the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Halton.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, was amongst the military top brass attending the function, which celebrated the close ties between the Royal Family and Royal Air Force personnel both past and present.
Group Captain Mark Heffron, Station Commander of RAF High Wycombe, worked alongside trustees and club management as the project officer for the event.
He said:
This is a unique occasion in the history of both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Air Force Club.
It has been our honour to host the Royal Honorary Air Commodores at this luncheon in the Diamond Jubilee year of Her Majesty’s patronage.
This is a day that will be cherished by the Royal Air Force Club for many, many years.
Whilst at the RAF Club, Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh signed royal portraits for the club. The portraits will be displayed in the Cowdray Room, named after Lord Cowdray, the founder of the RAF Club.
Air Vice-Marshal Matt Wiles, the RAF Club Chairman, said:
It was a huge privilege to welcome our patron, Her Majesty The Queen, back into the Royal Air Force Club during her Diamond Jubilee year.
The event also provided an excellent opportunity to recognise the outstanding contribution Her Majesty and other members of the Royal Family make as Honorary Air Commodores of our major Royal Air Force units, and the Club was delighted to host them and members of the Air Force Board.
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