Welcome; Chairman Giles Cooper, OBE
Welcome to the Royal Variety Charity & Royal Variety Performance official site.
It's a real privilege to lead this very special and historic British institution; our staff and unpaid volunteers work tirelessly to help those in need throughout the entertainment industry, both in our care home in Twickenham and indeed all across the UK - they are all truly inspirational people to work with.
I'd like to thank the Members of our Executive Committee, including their elected Officers and Trustees for giving up their valuable time throughout each year and for working so hard for those in need within the entertainment industry.
I'd particularly like to highlight from our Royal Variety Events team, Victoria Bond, Peter Hinton and Kirsty Bristow, who help me organise our main annual fundraiser; the Royal Variety Performance.
The Royal Variety Charity has constantly evolved, but has always existed as the entertainment industry 'looking after its own' and this would never have been possible without the unwavering support of continuing generations of our Royal Family. I'd particularly like to thank His Majesty The King and HM The Queen, together with TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales, who have supported us so much over recent years. Their attendance supports British show business as a whole and demonstrates how close an affection the Royal Family has for our entire entertainment industry.
The Royal Variety Performance has in recent years gone from strength to strength, consistently attracting the biggest stars from all over the world. Our social media channels such as Facebook are testament to the Royal Variety Show's massive resurgence in popularity, demonstrating the huge appetite that clearly exists in the UK and around the world for this annual, Great British Institution.
The Royal Variety Performance was first staged in London in 1912 to an audience of just 1,300 but last year was broadcast in 63 countries and viewed by a combined television audience of over 153 million - making it the longest running and most successful show in the world.
Lastly, thank you to you, for your interest and support of the Royal Variety Charity. Please donate or buy a ticket if you are able and please get involved in our many fundraising ventures whenever you can. Thank you!
