The Duchess of Cambridge has succeeded the Queen as Royal Patron of Action for Children.
The Queen will be stepping down as a patron of 25 national organisations this year including charities Action for Children, Barnardo’s, the NSPCC and Save the Children.
Sir Tony Hawkhead, chief executive of Action for Children, thanked the Queen in a letter for her ‘tireless contribution’ to raising awareness of the charity’s work over the past 50 years.
The Queen became patron of Action for Children, formerly the National Children’s Home, in 1967. Action for Children runs 600 services across the country to support vulnerable children, young people and their families. It operates more than 200 children’s centres.
Last August, it took over the charity 4Children, which included the transfer of 41 nurseries.