During her 70 years of service, Queen Elizabeth II was patron of more than 600 charities and organisations, a figure that fluctuated over the years and declined as she grew older. 

From animals to children and young people, the Queen supported a wide range of good causes. While she chose to attach herself to some charities, she also automatically inherited many from her father King George VI when he died. 

In 2012, Charities Aid Foundation estimated that the 510 charities in the UK supported by the late monarch at the time raised a total of £1.4bn per year.  

In her Christmas message in 2016, the Queen praised the work of charities, saying that “many of these organisations are modest in size but inspire me with the work they do”.

“From giving friendship and support to our veterans, the elderly or the bereaved; to championing music and dance; providing animal welfare; or protecting our fields and forests, their selfless devotion and generosity of spirit is an example to us all,” she said.

“When people face a challenge they sometimes talk about taking a deep breath to find courage or strength. In fact, the word ‘inspire’ literally means ‘to breathe in’. But even with the inspiration of others, it’s understandable that we sometimes think the world's problems are so big that we can do little to help. On our own, we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice, but the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine.”

As head of state, the monarch has a duty to remain neutral in political matters. Despite this, the Queen made a rare, “generous donation” to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal in March. 

We look back at some of the Queen’s patronages and other charity sector-related work over the years.