Royal Visits to the Medway Towns

Chatham Dockyard’s Royal Connections

The Royal Family has had very close connections with the Royal Navy for many years. H.R.H. Prince William, the Duke of Clarence (later King William IV - 'the Sailor King') was the first professional royal sailor. He served in the Royal Navy from 1779 until 1828 - 10 years, 9 months and 3 weeks of this time was spent on active service at sea.

Over the next two hundred years, many members of the Royal Family including three monarchs George V, George VI and Edward VIII have served in the Royal Navy.

Befittingly the Royal Family have often visited members of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines in Chatham and the surrounding area.  They have continued to visit the area after the closure of the Dockyard and Naval Base in 1984. The above image shows H.R.H. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales at the opening of the Royal Dockyard Library during a visit to The Historic Dockyard in November 2004.

Image © Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust