36 Old Princethorpians have been invited to Buckingham Palace in London to be presented with their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award. They join thousands of young people and their families celebrating their amazing achievements.

On Friday 19 May, at his first award celebrations as the charity’s Patron, His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, a Gold Award achiever himself, congratulated all those that had completed this challenging award, commending them on their perseverance, creativity and resilience.

After his speech, the Duke met Award holders, including our very own OP Archie Hancock (Class of 2022), hearing about the positive impact their DofE experience has had on them.

Head of Outdoor Education, Will Bower, who also attended the event, was incredibly proud, commenting, “Completing your Gold Duke of Edinburgh takes real commitment and resolve, and the skills developed along the way benefit both the individual and their local community. All of these young people showed dedication and perseverance and their final expedition to Buckingham Palace is a really wonderful reward.”

Receiving their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award in ceremonies this year are:

Ellie Partridge, Will Dunderdale, Luke Brotherton, Luke Palmer, Josh Whitby, George Saunders, Will Crowfoot, Tom Crowfoot, Henri Fuchss, James Walker, Angus Griffin, Will Marshall, Lauren Mason, Will McCormack, Eve Howard, Erin Darcy, Victoria Heritage, Ben Scares, Anthony Convey, Sam Warne, Jessie Crawford, Archie Hancock, Dan Wildey, Joe England, Louis Rodgers, Jack Collins, Ella Mason, Emily Scrivens, Ishbel Kempton, Tobias Lambe, Pablo Scopes, Elizabeth Boyes, Ed Foster, Zara Hendy, Laurel Arkesden and Erin Arriordaz.

We look forward to news of further awards presentations and don’t forget the maximum age limit for completing your awards is 25 years. We encourage all OPs who haven’t quite signed off all their sections to complete the requirements and get their moment at the Palace as well.