King Charles Renews His Patronage of the British Film Institute

King Charles is a fan of cinema.

The monarch has renewed his patronage of the British Film Institute (BFI), the U.K.’s lead body for film. The BFI is also responsible for preserving the Royal Collection it has in its national archive.

A royal patronage is important for organizations like the BFI – it means Charles does crucial publicity work for the institute and provides an even bigger platform for their achievements to be applauded. On this day 25 years ago, the King (then Prince of Wales) cut the ribbon to open London’s landmark theater, the BFI IMAX, in Waterloo. He has now returned to royal duties after making positive progress in his cancer treatment.

As a registered charity founded in 1933, the BFI has been governed by Royal Charter since 1983.

In 2018, the King visited the BFI Southbank to celebrate 40 years as the BFI’s Patron, where he met BFI employees including Chief Executive Ben Roberts, BFI Film Academy alumni and British talent including actors Ruth Wilson, Hayley Atwell, David Oyelowo, and BFI ambassador Tom Hiddleston.

Charles was shown Peter Sellers’ script from The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), with handwritten notes by the comic actor, and promotional material from The Pink Panther, one of his favourite films.

Roberts said: “We are honored to have the Royal Patronage of HM King Charles III and grateful for the support he has already given us as Patron as The Prince of Wales for 45 years, showing his commitment and passion for film along the way. We take our responsibility for caring for the Royal Collection in the BFI National Archive very seriously and are dedicated to ensuring it is preserved for generations to come.”

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