Our statement on the passing of our patron, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

8 September 2022

On behalf of our members, our Board of Trustees and all of our colleagues around the world, we offer our condolences to His Majesty the King and bereaved members of the Royal Family at this time of sorrow and sadness.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was our patron for almost seven decades and had a close association with our community, alongside her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was our first Honorary Fellow in 1952.

Royal Society of Chemistry president, Professor Gill Reid, said: “Our society has supported members of the chemical sciences community for over 180 years and we are truly honoured to have had the support of Her Majesty as our patron.

“We remember with fondness the occasions on which Her Majesty and Prince Philip visited our Burlington House home, indeed celebrating our move to our new home in 1969 and in celebrating our 150th anniversary in 1991.”

Dr Helen Pain, Royal Society of Chemistry chief executive, added: “Her Majesty’s patronage of the Royal Society of Chemistry has granted us a platform on which to support an international community of chemical scientists in using their expertise to improve our health, our environment and our daily lives”.

Official guidance, protocol and advice for our member communities

Protocol and guidance for member communities and networks

All Royal Society of Chemistry offices, worldwide, will be closed on Monday 19 September, the day of Her Majesty’s funeral, as a mark of respect to our patron. Our staff will not be expected to work on this day and events due to be held at the time of the funeral have been postponed.

Member-led events and meetings may continue (both internal and external) during the period of mourning, aside from at the time of the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II. The decision to proceed or postpone a meeting is at the discretion of the event organiser. Events of a celebratory nature should be postponed until after the funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

At the start of any Royal Society of Chemistry meeting held during the period of mourning, the Chair/Organiser is welcome to use our statement above to set the tone for the event and to ask for a moment of reflection on the life of HM Queen Elizabeth II and her patronage of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Use of social media during the period of national mourning is at the discretion of committee members and, if used, should be entirely sympathetic to the national mood. Official Royal Society of Chemistry posts will be minimised during this period.

Organisers of our member communities can contact the relevant teams for further advice, if required, using the contact form on the left of this page.

We will be respectful to the feelings of others and follow official guidance and protocol. We will make a book of condolence available for our community to sign, in-person at our Burlington House headquarters. Members may wish to send a message via the Royal Family’s online book of condolence.

During the national mourning period, we will not be sending any further communications or marketing messages during the period of Her Majesty’s lying-in-State and until her funeral has taken place.

Our patron, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Below are some of the images of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, when they joined us in commemorating our move to our new home, in 1969, and in celebrating our 150th anniversary, in 1991.

We also share some of the correspondence that has played an important role in shaping our organisation