Duke of Cambridge becomes patron of the Metropolitan & City Police Orphans Fund
The Duke of Cambridge has become patron of the Metropolitan & City Police Orphans Fund.
The Duke will become a patron of the Fund which is the oldest police charity in the world
The Fund, which began in 1870 as an orphanage, is the oldest police charity in the world.
It supports the children of officers of the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police who have died or who are unable to provide for their families.
The Fund will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2020, and 2017 marks 80 years since it became a modern charity following the closure of the orphanage in 1937.
Queen Victoria was the Fund's first royal patron
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I am sure the children we support and serving police officers will also be extremely pleased
Peter Smyth, the chief executive officer, said: “We are absolutely delighted that His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge has agreed to be our new patron. I am sure the children we support and serving police officers will also be extremely pleased.”
In 2015 the fund donated £1million to the children of deceased colleagues, and since the foundation of the charity has supported more than 15,000 children.
William is following in the footsteps of his great-great-great-great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria who was the fund's first royal patron.