The King’s Birthday: Corps’ History With The Royal Family
Today, on Saturday 15th of June, King Charles III celebrates his second official birthday, marked with a ceremony of Trooping the Colour and the King’s birthday parade. Today allows the whole country to gather to celebrate the birthday of our monarch.
Recently, we were able to share the incredibly exciting news that His Majesty King Charles III has agreed to become the Royal Patron of The Corps of Commissionaires, as our Chief Life Governor. We are honoured that His Majesty has chosen to continue a long line of Patronage with our organisation.
The royal patronage exemplifies the incredible bond between us and the Royal Family that spans over a century. In 1901, His Majesty King Edward VII consented to head our list of Governors. He was followed by George V, Edward VII, George VI and her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, our longest serving patron from 1952 until 2022.
Her Majesty celebrated our Corps of Commissionaires’ 150th birthday with us in 2009, along with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. However, the Royal Family have supported Corps in other ways too – becoming part of our fabric over the last two centuries.
Here’s an overview of our history, including our first work with the Royal Family, up until the work we do today.
Our beginnings
- 1859: The Corps of Commissionaires is established by Captain Sir Edward Walter.
After the poor conditions experienced by soldiers during the Crimean War (1853-1856), Sir Edward Walter, a retired officer of the 8th Hussars, was determined to change the lives of veterans. Sir Walter became the founder and commanding officer of the Corps of Commissionaires.
He advocated for the abilities of ex-servicemen to transition into the vital role of protecting the financial houses of the City of London, once the world’s commercial capital. The Corps of Commissionaires was officially born, comprised of eight officers – one sailor and seven soldiers.
- 1865: With the support of HRH Duke of Cambridge, Captain Edward Walter secures the services of distinguished officers to become the managers, known as the Governors.
In 1865, the HRH Duke of Cambridge, Prince George was able to better our standing. He helped secure the service of distinguished officers to become managers. This helped our organisation expand rapidly in the late 19th century and early 20th century.
By 1880, Corps of Commissionaires was operating in London, Belfast and Liverpool, with over 1,000 members. In 1884, the Australian division was also founded.
- 1885: Captain Edward Walter is knighted.
Our founder Sir Edward Walter was awarded for his public service, receiving one of the highest honours for a British citizen. He was knighted under the sovereign Queen Victoria for his work.
- 1901: His Majesty King Edward VII consents to head the list of Governors.
When HRH Queen Victoria passed in 1901, His Majesty King Edward VII ascended the throne. He consented to head the list of Governors and became the first reigning sovereign to hold the office of Chief of Life Governors, a tradition continued by succeeding monarchs.
The original eight
Our more recent work
- 2009: The Corps of Commissionaires’ 150th birthday is hosted in the presence of the Chief Life Governor, Her Majesty The Queen, and The Duke of Edinburgh.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh joined our staff and customers from the Corps of Commissionaires’ offices all over the world. Together, we celebrated the Commissionaires – the members of Corps Security in traditional military style uniform first worn by operational staff at the organisation.
The Corps of Commissionaires remains a distinctive service employed at high-profile occasions, including Royal attendances. The military ‘Full Shout’ uniform demonstrates our origins and signifies our high quality, and readily identifiable, security services.
Our rich heritage leads us to today. Under CEO Mike Bullock, Corps Security continues our social mission, to provide a positive impact on society. We support and advocate for fair working practices and support veteran services.
- 2024: His Majesty King Charles III becomes the Royal Patron of The Corps of Commissionaires as the Chief Life Governor.
Our latest major update as a business – His Majesty King Charles III has agreed to keep tradition alive by becoming our Chief Life Governor. His Majesty’s Patronage was received after a thorough analysis of over 1000 organisations. We are honoured that His Majesty has chosen to uphold this centuries-long tradition, and warmly welcome his support and association with our organisation.
Read more about the Corps of Commissionaires and our Corps Monitoring services.
