It is recommended that requests for visits by members of the Royal Family are made through the Lord-Lieutenant. Background information on the proposed event or organisation should be submitted at the earliest opportunity, along with a brief description of the reason for the request and the time period during which a visit would be appropriate. When making a request please bear in mind that for official openings and ceremonial events involving the Royal Family these are easier to manage when projects are complete (e.g. half complete building sites would not be ideal or appropriate).
It must be stressed that the Royal Family receives many more requests for visits than they are able to undertake and therefore success cannot be guaranteed.
Each household will hold diary planning meetings when bids received will be considered. These can be held sometimes up to 9 months in advance of the month in which a visit is requested.
No publicity at all should be given to the fact that an invitation has been extended to a Royal visitor. Even when accepted an engagement remains entirely confidential until a date is decided by the Royal visitor's private secretary who handles the publicity. The announcement takes the form of a short factual statement on the Buckingham Palace website.
The assistant clerk will advise on timescales for individual households.
The assistant clerk to the Lieutenancy, to whom all initial enquiries are to be made, is:
Mrs Nicola Harrison
Assistant Clerk to the Lieutenancy
Cumbria Lieutenancy Office
107-117 Botchergate
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA1 1RD
lieutenant@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Telephone: 07825 832 545
Recent royal visits
HRH The Duke of Gloucester visited Cumbria on 14 March 2023
Firstly, HRH The Duke of Gloucester visited Birdoswald Roman Fort and received a guided tour of the excavations and Visitor Centre. Cumbria Clock Company then hosted a visit and showed HRH Duke of Gloucester around the company workshops where he viewed several clocks and mechanisms of varying ages which are being refurbished. The final visit was to the 25th anniversary reception for Hospice at Home where HRH The Duke of Gloucester spoke with volunteers and staff and unveiled a plaque.
HRH The Princess Royal visited Cumbria on 11 October 2022
After officially opening The Lakes Distillery in 2015, HRH The Princess Royal returned to see the progress that had been made. As part of a special tour, HRH was shown the distillery's recently renovated Whiskymaker's House and tasting rooms and spent time in its state-of-the-art Whisky Studio.
HRH The Prince of Wales visited Cumbria on Wednesday 6 April 2022
HRH The Prince of Wales visited Tebay Services to commemorate their 50th anniversary, Hutton in the Forest to meet members of the local farming community and Typhon Treatment Systems Ltd to tour their premises and lab.
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge visited Cumbria on Tuesday 21 September 2021
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge took part in a number of outdoor activities with the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, of which she is honorary air commandant before embarking on a boat trip with two of the 'Windermere Children' - a group of youngsters who were brought to live in Cumbria from the horrors of the Theresienstadt concentration camp in Czechoslovakia in 1945.
HRH The Princess Royal and HRH The Countess of Wessex visited Westmorland County Agricultural Show on Thursday 9 September 2021
HRH The Princess Royal and HRH The Countess of Wessex attended the 222-year-old Westmorland County Show to meet with charity representatives and speak to exhibitors.
HRH The Princess Royal visited Holme St. Cuthbert School, Maryport on Wednesday 7 October 2020
HRH The Princess Royal, Vice Patron, the British Horse Society, visited Holme St. Cuthbert School, Mawbray, Maryport, to learn more about the Schools Education Programme.
HRH The Princess Royal visited Barrow-in-Furness on Thursday 23 January 2020
Royal Patron, HRH The Princess Royal attended the Café Neuro drop-in at St Mary's Living Well Centre in Barrow-in-Furness. The Princess met 80 guests, including people living with MND and their families, volunteers, civic dignitaries and staff from the Association and local partners.
The event was held to celebrate Café Neuro's first birthday and the collaborative work of seven local charities who came together to create a drop-in service to support people from across south Cumbria with neurological conditions.
HRH The Princess Royal visited Cumbria on Monday 9 September 2019
HRH The Princess Royal visited the £12 million state-of-the-art Maternity Unit at Furness General Hospital, as part of her role as Patron to The Royal College of Midwives. The Princess Royal, Patron, Save the Children UK, later visited The Save the Children Shop in Ulverston.
HRH The Princess Royal visited West Cumbria on Tuesday 2 July 2019
HRH The Princess Royal visited Cumbria on Tuesday 2 July 2019 to officially open The Whitehaven Campus, which combines St Benedict's Catholic High School with Mayfield School. The £30 million education campus opened its doors to pupils in January 2019. HRH also visited REACT Engineering to hear how the innovative business has developed its global expertise in West Cumbria and opened Gen2's newly built head office at Lillyhall, Workington, in her role as President of The City and Guilds of London Institute. Gen2 is one of the country's leading apprentice training providers and is part of The City and Guilds Group, as well as The City and Guilds Institute of Advanced Technology.
HRH The Earl of Wessex visited Cumbria on Thursday 13 June 2019
HRH The Earl of Wessex visited Cumbria on Thursday 13 June 2019 and took a whistle stop tour of BAE Systems, followed by a visit to St Mary's Hospice to meet their amazing staff, volunteers and community groups and to officially declare the St Mary's Living Well Centre open. The centre provides a space for the hospice and other local organisations to provide a range of free activities and services, enabling more people to enjoy a better quality of life and stay independent for longer. HRH then made his way to Walney Island to officially open the new visitor's hub at South Walney Nature Reserve and ended the day visiting Morecambe Bay Oysters.
TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Cumbria on Tuesday 11 June 2019
HRH The Prince of Wales visited Cumbria on the 8 April 2019 to visit Pirelli Tyres Ltd to celebrate their 50th anniversary by touring their factory and meeting their highly-skilled staff and apprentices. HRH then officially opened Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam & Stories, following a £20m development by Lakeland Arts. The museum tells the story of 200 years of boats, boating and boat-building in the Lake District. HRH also visited Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team to tour the base, meet volunteers and watch a rescue demonstration. The last visit took place at the Hawkshead Relish Company production facility during their 20th anniversary year. The company produce award winning artisan preserves, relishes and chutneys, many of which are made to traditional Cumberland and Westmorland recipes.
HRH The Prince of Wales visited Cumbria on the 8 April 2019
HRH The Prince of Wales visited Cumbria on the 8 April 2019 to visit Pirelli Tyres Ltd to celebrate their 50th anniversary by touring their factory and meeting their highly-skilled staff and apprentices. HRH then officially opened Windermere Jetty Museum of Boats, Steam & Stories, following a £20m development by Lakeland Arts. The museum tells the story of 200 years of boats, boating and boat-building in the Lake District. HRH also visited Langdale Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team to tour the base, meet volunteers and watch a rescue demonstration. The last visit took place at the Hawkshead Relish Company production facility during their 20th anniversary year. The company produce award winning artisan preserves, relishes and chutneys, many of which are made to traditional Cumberland and Westmorland recipes.
HRH The Countess of Wessex visited Cumbria on the 6 February 2019
HRH The Countess of Wessex visited Cumbria on the 6 February 2019 to visit John Farrer and Co Ltd, an independent coffee and tea merchants based in Kendal, to mark their 200th anniversary and open their new training facilities, The Wessex Suite. HRH then visited Bendrigg Trust, an activity centre specialising in adventure courses for disabled and disadvantaged people. The Countess met with some local children benefitting from the courses and found out more about the Trust's work in the local area. To finish the day HRH attended the judging of the Westmorland Agricultural Society's Annual Silage Competition, in her role as President of the Society. Silage is grass or other green fodder that is stored and then used as animal feed. It is a vital resource for farms during the winter.
HRH The Princess Royal visited Cumbria on the 17 January 2019
HRH The Princess Royal visited Cumbria on the 17 January 2019 to visit to Flimby based New Balance factory in her role as President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association. There was also at stop in Barrow-in-Furness to open a new hub run by Project John which offers support to young people as well as a visit to the foodbank based at Abbey Road Baptist Church in Barrow where she got the chance to meet many of those who volunteer to help sort and distribute donations. The princess also chatted to some of those who have been supported by the foodbank which last year gave out over 7,000 parcels to those in need. There was also time for a visit to the Save the Children ship in Kirkby Lonsdale during her time in Cumbria.
HRH The Countess of Wessex visited the Westmorland Agricultural Show on the 13 September 2018
HRH The Duke of Gloucester visited Cumbria on Wednesday 25 July 2018 to visit Whitehaven Marina, St John`s Ambulance Hub at Ambleside and the medical centre at the Kendal Calling music festival site. The Duke also visited Rayrigg Gardens.
HRH The Prince of Wales visited Cumbria on Monday 26 March 2018 to attend a ceremony to unveil the official plaque to designate the Lake District National Park as a Unesco World Heritage site, visit Newton Rigg Husbandry Centre, Ullswater Steamers and James Cropper PLC.
HRH The Countess of Wessex visited Cumbria on Thursday 8 February 2018 to attend the Westmorland County Agricultural Society Ltd for their 22nd annual general meeting, followed by a visit to Carlisle Mencap to celebrate their 50th Anniversary and Annie Mawson`s Sunbeams Music Trust.
HRH The Duchess of Gloucester visited Cumbria on the 26 September 2017 (Workington Academy, Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland and Stead McAlpin & Co Ltd
HRH The Princes Royal visited the University of Cumbria, Carlisle to celebrate their 10th Anniversary and open Stem Laboratories on the 20 September 2017
HRH The Prince of Wales visited the Westmorland Agricultural Show on the 14 September 2017
HRH The Duke of Gloucester visited Cumbria on the 24 July 2017 (Dalton Community Centre, Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria Crystal, Ulverston and South Tynedale Railway, Alston
The Prince of Wales completed a two day tour of Cumbria 10/4/17 and 11/4/17
Princess Royal Visits Cumbria - 21/3/17
Duke of Gloucester visited Keswick, Barrow and Maryport - 27/04/16
Princess Royal visited Riding for the Disables Association in Carlisle- 12/04/16
Prince Charles visited Cumbria for a whistle-stop tour of some of the areas most beloved spots - 23/03/16
Prince Charles visited Carlisle and Appleby to meet those affected by Storm Desmond 22/12/15
Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra KG GCVO officially opens field of remembrance at St Cuthbert`s Church, Carlisle. 15/07/15
Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra KG GCVO visits Linton Tweeds in Shaddongate, Carlisle.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex visited Wigton, Threlkeld and Carlisle during a whistle-stop tour of north Cumbria 09/06/2015
Prince Charles indulged in his passion for supporting the rural community when he returned to Cumbria 01/05/2015
