ROYAL VISITS TO SUFFOLK
Members of the Royal Family are frequent visitors to Suffolk, taking an active interest in many aspects of life and work in the county, including civic, military, commercial, education, voluntary, charitable and health and social activities.
Invitations to members of the Royal Family to visit Suffolk are made by and with the advice of the Lord Lieutenant.
If you would like to extend such an invitation in the first instance please contact the Lieutenancy Office.
Inviting a Member of the Royal Family to an event
Invitations to members of the Royal Family can be made either to the Lord-Lieutenant or direct to the relevant Private Secretary at Buckingham Palace, with a copy to the Lord-Lieutenant. For further information about Members of the Royal Family and the charities or organisations they support please go to the British Monarchy website.
Invitations extended through the Lord-Lieutenant may request a specific member of the Royal Family. If in doubt the Lord-Lieutenant will advise as to who may be the most appropriate member of the Royal Family to approach and it is advisable to consult the Lord-Lieutenant at the earliest opportunity in any event.
The letter of invitation should include as much information as possible about what you would like to mark or celebrate, which might be a special anniversary, opening of a new building, etc. If you are considering the latter, it is vital that the building is completed and in use before the date of the Royal visit.
When to make the invitation
All invitations received are very carefully considered. Your invitation should be sent at least six months ahead of the proposed visit and about a year ahead if it is for a special occasion on a particular day. If in doubt, please contact the Lieutenancy Office.
Planning for a Royal Visit
Planning for a Royal Visit will involve a lot of detailed work and, if your bid is successful, the Royal Household will inform the Lieutenancy Office. We will then contact you to confirm a date and start the planning process. The Lieutenancy office will give guidance and support to you throughout the planning process and on the day of the visit.
If your invitation is declined
The King and other members of the Royal Family make at least 3,000 visits a year. Thousands of invitations are received a year and inevitably it is not possible for all invitations to be accepted. If your invitation is declined please do consider inviting the the Lord Lieutenant instead, as she is HM The Kings's representative in the county.
For further information and to request a copy of the guidance note for Royal Visits please contact the Lieutenancy Office.