King Charles III Assumes Patronage of Royal & Ancient Golf Club on May 9, 2024

King Charles III has officially become the patron of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, following in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The decision continues a tradition that began in 1834 with King William IV, with patronage accepted by reigning monarchs since then. Martin Slumbers, Secretary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, explained that the decision to accept the patronage of the monarch follows a similar longstanding agreement with King Charles III's mother, who passed away in September 2022.

Slumbers shared,  “Her late Majesty’s 70-year patronage of the Club was an immense source of pride for its Members. We are delighted and deeply honoured to have been advised by Buckingham Palace that His Majesty, The King has accepted patronage of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews."

“We now look forward to His Majesty’s support for the work of the Club and our commitment to the sport of golf across the world.” he added.

King Charles III follows in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as the patron. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, established in 1754, is today one of the premier destinations worldwide with over 2,400 members globally, by invitation only. Honorary members include Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Paul Lawrie. In 2022, it was announced that King Charles III's brother, Prince Andrew, had relinquished his honorary membership of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club. On the occasion of its 250th anniversary in 2004, the club transferred responsibility for managing the Rules of Golf, overseeing the fourth Major championship of the year, The Open, and other major events to a newly formed company named The R&A - one of the two governing bodies of golf along with the USGA.