Today marks the start of celebrations for the Patron of The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), as Her Majesty The Queen becomes the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service.

Throughout her 70 year reign, The Queen has travelled more widely than any other monarch, undertaking many opportunities to visit the Commonwealth, including visits to Australia.

Of The Queen’s 16 visits to Australia, two have special significance to the rich history of the RCH.

In 1953 our hospital was granted Royal Ascent to change its name to ‘Royal Children’s Hospital’. Shortly after, Queen Elizabeth, along with Prince Phillip, the late Duke of Edinburgh visited the hospital for the first time to mark the opening of the new Royal Children’s Hospital at Parkville in 1963.

In 2011, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip returned to Melbourne to recreate their earlier visit, opening the RCH on the site it stands today.

During their 2011 visit, following a tour of the new facility, The Queen and The Duke were welcomed to a reception of staff, patients, and other guests on Main Street. The Queen then unveiled a beautiful commemorative plaque to officially open the new building which can now be found inside the main entrance of the hospital.

Her Majesty The Queen holds patronage or partnership with more than 600 charities, military associations, professional bodies and public service organisations—a group of
organisations our hospital is privileged to be a part of.

On behalf of our Board, Executive, staff and community, we send our congratulations to Her Majesty The Queen for reaching such a significant milestone, and thank her for the special relationship she has shared with the RCH throughout her 70 year reign.

To learn more about Her Majesty The Queen and the Platinum Jubilee, visit: https://www.royal.uk/platinumjubilee