The HM Tower of London Chapels Royal Foundation
The Chapels as places of worship are governed by The HM Tower of London Chapels Royal Foundation. The Foundation was constituted jointly by the Lord Chamberlain on behalf of The Queen, the Constable of the Tower of London and the Bishop of London in his capacity as Dean of the Chapels Royal. It is a charitable incorporated organisation and a registered charity (No 1160859).
As well as being Chapels Royal, the Chapels comprise a Royal Peculiar, and as such fall outside the diocesan and parochial system of the Church of England. However, the Foundation has a role in relation to the Chapels very similar to that which a parochial church council has in relation to a parish church.
The Foundation works closely with the Chaplain to support him in his ministry and jointly with him to set the strategic development of the worshipping life and mission of the Chapels. The Foundation engages and pays for the Master of Music, the Assistant Master of Music and the Choir and seeks to ensure that the musical elements of services in the Chapels are of the finest quality. The money and assets of the Chapels are held by the Foundation, which also administers a benevolent fund to help those in need who work or who have worked within the Tower and the dependants in need of such persons.
There are both ex officio and appointed trustees of the Foundation. The present trustees are:
General Sir Gordon Messenger, KCB, DSO and Bar, OBE, DL, Constable, Chairman
General Sir George Norton, KCVO, CBE, Lieutenant
Brigadier Andrew Jackson, CBE, Governor
Canon Roger Hall, MBE, Chaplain
Mr Christopher Stainforth
The Rev’d Canon Paul Wright, Sub-Dean of HM Chapels Royal
Mrs Gillian Fletcher
Sir Andrew Parmley, KStJ
Mr Richard Cushing
The trustees are assisted by a Chapel Committee which deals with more detailed operational matters. Its members are:
The Revd Canon Roger Hall MBE Chairman
Mrs Kathryn Vagneur
Mrs Gill Howard
Mr Chris Weston-Simons
The presentation of the Chapels to the public as places of national interest and particular beauty is the responsibility of Historic Royal Palaces, with which the Foundation works closely.