Remembering the Queen
As we honour Queen Elizabeth II’s life and legacy, we reflect on the impact Her Majesty’s patronage has had on Sightsavers’ work.
We’re honoured to have had the long-standing support of our patron Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and we offer our sincere condolences to the royal family and all those who mourn her loss.
Throughout her reign, the Queen was committed to supporting Sightsavers. Her Majesty championed our mission to protect sight and fight for disability rights by raising vital awareness both at home and across the globe. A year after becoming our patron in 1957, the Queen granted us royal status.
In 1969, Her Majesty sent a telegram of congratulations following the ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro by seven blind men from East Africa. Along with the Queen’s support, this amazing feat challenged discrimination around disability and paved the way for Sightsavers’ first inclusive education programme.
The Queen’s visit to the opening of our new offices in Haywards Heath in 1971 drew huge crowds from across Sussex, who were eager to meet her. Over the years, Her Majesty has met, inspired and honoured many Sightsavers staff, and we are privileged to have enjoyed such a long-lasting relationship with her.
Sightsavers pays tribute to Her Majesty The Queen
Our CEO Caroline Harper reflects on the loss of Queen Elizabeth II and the lasting impact of her patronage on Sightsavers.
Read our statementHer legacy: The Trachoma Initiative
The Queen’s wish to end avoidable blindness is enshrined in the legacy left by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.
Funded by the trust, The Trachoma Initiative supported ministries of health in seven countries in Africa to fight trachoma. The five-year programme provided 26.6 million antibiotic eye treatments and 102,400 sight-saving operations to treat the world’s leading cause of infectious blindness. It also ensured that local healthcare providers had the skills, resources and staff they need to prevent trachoma in the future.
Her Majesty’s legacy will continue to be felt for many years to come as these countries carry on their vital work and move ever closer to eliminating trachoma as a public health problem.
Our CEO shares her experience of the royal funeral
Read the blogSightsavers and the Queen
Sightsavers Eye Health Hero meets the Queen
Sightsavers ophthalmologist Dr Jalikatu Mustapha, who recently won an IAPB Eye Health Hero Award, received a video call from Her Majesty the Queen to mark World Sight Day.
“I was the first trachoma surgeon in my region”
Meet Samson, a trachoma surgeon who’s saving people’s sight by performing pop-up operations and outreach in remote communities in Kenya.
“I love the fact that my work helps to provide eye care for all”
Mercia, from Mozambique, is dedicated to eliminating trachoma and determined to make sure everyone can access good-quality eye care.
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