President: Canon Thomas Woodhouse, Chaplain of The Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy, and the Royal Victorian Order

Music and Editing: Tim Hamilton BA(Hons) MA PgDip(TCM) Cert.Ed

Reader: Debbie Garritty, the Head of Communications for the Duchy of Lancaster

The Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy is located on Savoy Hill, London, and was built as part of a charitable foundation under the terms of the will of King Henry VII (reigned 1485-1509) in the early sixteenth century. The land on which it stands is part of the central London estate of the Duchy of Lancaster, a private estate of the Sovereign. The building is therefore a private chapel of the Sovereign in right of the Duchy. Since 2016 it has been a Chapel Royal and the Chaplain is a member of the Sovereign’s ecclesiastical household. It is not subject to episcopal jurisdiction, but remains a part of the Church of England. In 1937 King George VI (reigned 1936-1952) commanded that the Chapel should be the chapel of the Royal Victorian Order, an honour in the personal gift of the Sovereign. The Order is a significant part of the life of the Chapel and regular services are held here for its members. Although the building is a private chapel of the Sovereign, members of the public are welcome to attend the services. The chapel has a fine musical tradition with a choir of men and boys. We hope you enjoy the podcast, recorded in part in this historic building.