PRESS RELEASE : King Charles III continues Queen Elizabeth’s legacy by giving His Majesty’s name to prestigious awards [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 26 February 2023.

The name change reflects His Majesty The King’s desire to continue recognising volunteers and promoting outstanding business.

• Two prestigious Awards established during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign and conferred in Her Late Majesty’s name, have been renamed to reflect King Charles III’s Accession

The Queen’s Award for Enterprise and The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service have been renamed following the Accession of King Charles III. The Awards will become The King’s Award for Enterprise and The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Throughout Her Late Majesty’s 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II was committed to recognising outstanding work and acts of service by individuals and groups. By attaching His Majesty’s name to these awards, The King has emphasised his desire to continue Queen Elizabeth’s legacy of recognising outstanding businesses and recognising the significant contribution of volunteers each year across the United Kingdom.

As Prince of Wales, His Majesty The King has been closely involved with the Awards for a number of years. His Majesty hosted the annual Royal Reception for both Awards on behalf of Queen Elizabeth since 2018, as well as recording a personal video message to refocus the Sustainable Development award category in 2019.

The newly renamed King’s Award for Enterprise celebrates outstanding achievement by UK businesses and is internationally recognised. The 2023 Awardees will be announced on Friday 21 April this year, marking Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday, and on 6 May from 2024, the anniversary of The King’s coronation.

Previous winners of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise include companies operating on an international scale such as Kelvatek, who provide innovative fault management for electricity distribution networks; to family-run businesses like The Quiet Site, a sustainable holiday park in the Lake District..

Minister for Enterprise Kevin Hollinrake said:

It is wonderful that His Majesty The King will give his name to these prestigious awards. Her Late Majesty left an enduring legacy of support for outstanding entrepreneurs and volunteers and the continuation of these awards will make sure they recognise hardworking individuals up and down the country long into the future.

Established 20 years ago during The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, The King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest given to local volunteer groups and recognises around 250 outstanding local volunteer groups each year. From 2023 onwards, awardees will be announced on 14 November each year, The King’s birthday.

Previous winners of The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service include The Wylye Valley Art Trail, Peterborough Asylum and Refugee Community Association, Hartlepool Carers and The Edinburgh Care Van Volunteers.

Minister for Civil Society Stuart Andrew said:

These prestigious awards celebrate people’s dedication, commitment and hard work in contributing to society and I’m delighted The King will continue the legacy of Her Late Majesty.

I look forward to seeing the outstanding achievements the awards mark in the coming year, both by businesses and voluntary organisations.

Both The King’s Award for Enterprise and The King’s Award for Voluntary Service will continue to celebrate the very best and shine a light on the inspiring work that supports our economy and our communities.