RGS Newcastle's Royal Heritage
RGS is Newcastle’s oldest institution of learning. Founded during Henry VIII's reign, Queen Elizabeth I later granted the burgesses of the City of Newcastle The Great Charter on 22nd March 1600. Within the Charter was the direction to incorporate a grammar school in the city, entitled to hold land. This established us as an autonomous legal entity and institution in our own right.
The school was to be called the ‘Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Newcastle’, though we continued to use the name Newcastle Free School for some time. Eventually we moved to our current title of Royal Grammar School Newcastle.
Today we are one of only seven schools in the UK to bear the name ‘Royal Grammar School’.
Our school shield has always referenced the Royal Arms in its design. During the 19th century when the school was sited at Rye Hill, we used a double badge of the Royal Arms and the Newcastle City Crest separately, which can be seen historic school caps. After we had celebrated our 400th anniversary in 1925, it was felt we needed to create our own heraldic device. A new Coat of Arms was designed and granted by the Royal College of Arms in 1931, paid for by Sir Arthur Sutherland. The badge is still in use today. It includes the leopard and fleur-de-lys which commemorate Elizabeth I’s refoundation of the school in 1600. The two horses’ heads represent our founder, Thomas Horsley, and the castle refers to the City of Newcastle’s Coat of Arms.
Our School Song Triumphans created in 1925 includes a royal reference. It celebrates Her Majesty the Queen with the lyric: “Bravely to Fight for Truth and Right, for Motherland Queen and God”. It is sung by Old Novocastrians at reunion events.
Read on for all the ways in which RGS has marked recent important Royal events.
In May 2022 we celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's phenomenal 70 years of service at her Platinum Jubilee, in September 2022 we have mourned the passing of our beloved monarch. In May 2023 we celebrated the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.
RGS pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
At a special assembly on Friday 16th September 2022, RGS students paid tribute to the life and service of Queen Elizabeth II.
RGS pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
RGS Celebrated the Platinum Jubilee
As one of only a handful of Royal Grammar Schools in the Country, we are incredibly proud of our heritage and especially our connection with the Royal Family. Founded in 1525 during King Henry VII’s reign and granted our Royal Charter in 1601 by Queen Elizabeth I, it is most fitting that our school celebrated the staggering 70 year reign of our Monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Stepping back in time, the whole school community reviewed some of the key developments, at RGS and in the wider world, in each of the seven decades of The Queen’s reign. Pupils were encouraged to reflect on some of the facts and think about the incredible service performed by many of the individuals mentioned and how they could support friends, family, the broader school community and City.
Activities took place across the school and in our local community, culminating in a special assembly to which we were honoured to welcome the new Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Mrs Karen Robinson, only the second female Lord Mayor of our City.
Below you can see some of the many activities we held to celebrate, including our Platinum Jubilee film, covering each decade of the Queen’s reign and key events in RGS’s own history over the last 70 years, alongside some fantastic performances from our RGS Jubilee Concert, opened by the Queen's representative, Lord-Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, Mrs Susan Winfield CVO OBE CStJ.
RGS Newcastle through the last 70 years
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s
The 2000s
The 2010s
The 2020s
The Lord-Lieutenant Mrs Susan Winfield CVO OBE CStJ visited RGS
RGS and The Queen's Green Canopy
RGS Jubilee Concert
Overture to ‘Royal Fireworks Music’
By George Frideric Handel arr. Richard Meyer
Performed by the RGS Symphony Orchestra (Symphony Orchestra)
If ye Love Me
By John Dowland
Performed by Amelia Lewis (soprano)
Zadok the Priest
By George Frideric Handel
Performed by the RGS Community Choir, Senior Choir, RGS Symphony Orchestra and Organ
RGS's New Stained Glass Window
To celebrate the Jubilee, RGS has commissioned a new stained glass window, made by the acclaimed artist Maralyn O'Keefe of Glass and Art Gallery in Consett. The window will be unveiled in the school soon, please watch this space for further details.
Y12 Day of Service
On Friday the 27th of May 2022, all Year 12 students engaged in a service activity in our wider community following discussions on the the vow that Queen Elizabeth II made in 1947, where she promised that her life would be devoted to service. Many already give freely of their time and volunteer in a wide variety of different ways, for others this activity may be the start of a journey.
Activities ranged from learning about dementia care; to litter picking in Jesmond Dene; from friendship conversations with refugees; to supporting primary school students; from helping at the People's Kitchen, to assisting at Ouseburn Farm; as well as many others.
Junior School Jubilee Celebrations
The Junior School celebrated the Jubilee in style, on the 27th of May 2022. We are grateful to the Junior School Parent Group for their support with a wide range of activities, photos of the day will be uploaded here soon.
Queen on the Screen
Forget Elf on the Shelf, last week 'Queen on the Screen' visited RGS, and the royal visitor had much fun gallivanting around the school with her beloved Corgi, posting a few pictures of herself on RGS's Instagram page.
