Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, has formally opened the new museum and Learning Centre at the Charterhouse. During the visit, which was also attended by the Bishop of London, The Queen and The Duke took part in a short ceremony and plaque unveiling in the Chapel and met local school children at the newly created Learning Centre and museum facilities.

The Charterhouse is a remarkable assembly of historic buildings dating from the 14th century. Over the years it has been a religious site, a Tudor mansion in which Elizabeth I first held Court and where James I created 130 new Barons before his coronation, a school and, as it has remained for over 400 years, an almshouse for those selected from a range of professions who are considered in need of financial support. With its partner the Museum of London, the Charterhouse has created Revealing the Charterhouse, a new facility telling its story role in key moments in English history, using artefacts from its own collection, together with those of the Museum of London and other collections.

The new development, which includes the new museum, reception area, shop and The Sir John Cass Learning Centre, was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and a range of other generous supporters including Helical plc, Charles Hayward Foundation, Sir John Cass’s Foundation, The Wolfson Foundation, John Lyon’s Charity, Mercers Charity, Monument Trust, Sackler Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Schroder Foundation, The City Bridge Trust, Christian Levett and The Lyon Family Trust.

Find out more at www.thecharterhouse.org

Picture credit: Richard Young