HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN WILL CELEBRATE LITERATURE IN RYE, EAST SUSSEX
Thursday 16th May 2024
Engagement 1:
The Queen will meet members of the local community at the Church of Saint Mary, Church Square, Rye.
At the Church of Saint Mary, the bells will ring to welcome Her Majesty.
Within the church, Her Majesty will have an opportunity to meet representatives from local organisations who have supported their community. This includes the Royal Voluntary Service of which Her Majesty is patron, Mothers’ Union, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Royal British Legion.
The Queen will also meet the bell ringers who welcomed Her Majesty to the Church of Saint Mary.
Engagement 2:
At Lamb House, once home to novelists Henry James, Rumer Godden and E. F. Benson, Her Majesty The Queen will join a garden party with organisations in celebration of Rye’s renowned literary history.
After departing the Church of Saint Mary, Her Majesty will walk along a picturesque street to Lamb House.
Lamb House is one of the most prominent residences in Rye. Built in 1723 by James Lamb and now owned by the National Trust, the house has seen centuries of different owners, including the novelists Henry James, Rumer Godden, and E. F. Benson. A prolific writer of fiction, ghost stories and non-fiction, E. F. Benson is best remembered for his ‘Mapp and Lucia’ novels which were set in the fictional town of Tilling, based on Rye. Lamb House was the inspiration for Mapp’s home, Mallards, complete with the famous Garden Room (which was bombed during the Second World War).
After a brief tour of Lamb House, the Queen will view items relating to literature from the historic collection at the house. Her Majesty will then join guests for a garden party in celebration of Rye’s literacy history. Guests will include members of the Friends of Tilling, the E. F. Benson Society, and staff and volunteers from the National Trust.
During the garden party, Gyles Brandreth, President of the Friends of Tilling, will give a reading from the Mapp and Lucia novels in celebration of Rye’s literary history.
After departing Lamb House, Her Majesty will walk down Rye’s Mermaid Street and see some of the other houses that inspired E. F. Benson’s work.
