Headmaster joins Catholic delegation to meet King Charles at Buckingham Palace

Mr Stubbings was recently part of a delegation representing the Catholic Church in England and Wales to meet King Charles in a special audience earlier this month.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, led the hand-picked twelve-person Catholic delegation, with Mr Stubbings selected to represent Catholic education.

The representatives of the Catholic Church joined 26 other organisations in affirming their allegiance to King Charles in a special audience last week. The event is part of a tradition stretching back to the 17th century where delegations from ‘Privileged Bodies’ – of which the Catholic Church is one – present ‘Loyal Addresses’ to the reigning monarch on special occasions.

Giving an address to the King on behalf of the Catholic community in England and Wales, Cardinal Nichols promised that the late Queen was remembered in the prayers of Catholics. “We rejoice in your accession,” Cardinal Nichols said, praising the King’s commitment to environmental protections, poverty relief and to ending religious persecution.

Mr Stubbings added: “It was an honour to join the delegation to take part in such an historic event with the new King, and an excellent opportunity to champion what is so special and unique about Catholic education.”

The last gathering of the Privileged Bodies took place over a decade ago on the celebration of the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Photo credit: Ian Jones Photography