Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Theatre Royal Windsor

There has scarcely been a more exciting time to be a Windsor resident as the town gears up to celebrate a remarkable 70 years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II reign. In honour of the Platinum Jubilee, we decided to take a look back through our archives at the visits Her Majesty has enjoyed here at Theatre Royal Windsor.

On 26 Feb, 1962 John Counsell received the following letter from Clarence House:

Dear Mr Counsell,

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother has bidden me write to tell you how very much Her Majesty enjoyed being present at the performance of “You Never Can Tell” on Friday evening.

It was for Queen Elizabeth a source of particular pleasure to be able to associate herself with the celebrations which mark such an important landmark in the history of the Windsor Repertory Company. As you know, Queen Elizabeth has always taken a close personal interest in the Company and Her Majesty is therefore especially happy to see it prospering and vigorous after nearly a quarter of a century.

Queen Elizabeth bids me accompany this letter with an expression of her warmest good wishes to you and all those associated with the Company for the years ahead.

Yours sincerely, Martin Gilliar.

The following day on 27 Feb, 1962 he receive a letter from Buckingham Palace:

My Dear John,

This is just to tell you how very much indeed The Queen enjoyed her visit to the Theatre Royal Windsor on Friday last, and to thank you for providing such an agreeable evening for her. Her Majesty was very pleased to accompany her mother to a performance of your thousandth production – surely a unique record, for which it was particularly appropriate that the Counsell family should have taken the leading parts of the Crampton family in “You Never Can Tell”.

May I add a word of very grateful thanks on behalf of my wife and myself for your kindness in asking us to be part of your Sunday audience? We both enjoyed the play immensely and the way you had put it on, and it was a real pleasure to see you on the stage again with your family. Thank you very much indeed.

Yours, Edward Ford.

We were incredibly honoured when, shortly after the receipt of these letters, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II pledged her patronage to Theatre Royal Windsor:

Dear Sir,

I am commanded by The Queen to inform you that Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant her Patronage to the Theatre Royal Windsor Trust.

If you so desire, it will be in order for the words “Patron – Her Majesty The Queen” to appear under the name of the Trust on all correspondence.

Yours truly,
Keeper of the Privy Purse
10th March 1965

We are proud to be one of the UK’s prestigious Theatre Royals, having been offered a Royal Patent. Theatrical Players have performed in Windsor since the 16th Century, from Queen Elizabeth I all the way to Elizabeth II. We are honoured to continue to bring drama, music and laughter to the people of Windsor and wish to congratulate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on achieving this extraordinary Jubilee.