Buckingham Palace releases sneak peek of King Charles’s tribute to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday

Svar Nanan-Sen
Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:00:01 +0000

Buckingham Palace have released a sneak peek of King Charles’s tribute to Queen Elizabeth II ahead of what would have been her 100th birthday.

The King’s message will be broadcast nationwide and across the Commonwealth tomorrow.

Additionally, the Royal Family will gather across several London locations for commemorative events scheduled for today and Tuesday, 21st April.

The King and Queen Camilla will lead the tributes alongside other members of the monarchy, attending four official engagements over the two days.

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The programme begins with a visit to a major fashion retrospective at The King's Gallery before moving to the British Museum for the unveiling of memorial designs.

The Princess Royal will separately inaugurate a new memorial garden in Regent's Park, while the commemorations conclude with a Buckingham Palace reception bringing together centenarians celebrating their own 100th birthdays on the same date as the late Queen's centenary.

The fashion exhibition at Buckingham Palace represents the most extensive display of the late Queen's wardrobe ever assembled, bringing together more than 300 pieces.

Visitors will encounter garments spanning Her late Majesty's entire life, from her christening robe through to bridesmaid outfits, her wedding gown and the dress worn at her Coronation.

Over the weekend, it was announced that King has accepted the role of Royal Patron for the newly established Queen Elizabeth Trust, a charity set to be formally unveiled on Tuesday, coinciding with what would have been the late monarch's 100th birthday.

The Government has committed a £40 million endowment to launch three memorial initiatives honouring the legacy of Elizabeth II.

The independent Trust will provide funding for communities throughout the United Kingdom seeking to revitalise communal areas.

Potential projects could encompass the transformation of underutilised buildings, the enhancement of green spaces, and the creation of neighbourhood gathering points, alongside support for skills training to organise local events.

The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee dedicated two years to consulting with groups across the country before establishing the charity.

Sir Damon Buffini, the Trust's founding chair, stated: "This is a real chance to support communities across the United Kingdom and bring shared spaces back to life: places where people of all ages and backgrounds can meet, connect, and belong."

He added: "As an organisation, we're ambitious about what we can achieve, and our goal is to significantly increase our impact by attracting support from others."

Lord Janvrin, who chairs the memorial committee, expressed hope that the charity would encourage remembrance of the late Queen's dedication to fostering community engagement and belonging.

Two further memorial projects will also be unveiled alongside the Trust on Tuesday.

These include a National Memorial featuring a landmark and gardens situated in St James's Park, as well as a Digital Memorial serving as a tribute to the late Queen's life and decades of public service.

The three initiatives together represent the culmination of extensive planning to create lasting tributes to Elizabeth II, who reigned for more than seven decades before her death in September 2022.