Four dancers of The Royal Ballet stand in different poses wearing blue leotards - one leans forward on one leg with one arm facing downward and their other leg raised high making an A shape, another lunges forward. The other two dancers hold one another.

Leave a legacy

Your legacy is our future 

Leaving a gift in your will will support our work, both on stage and behind the scenes.

From the performances here, from the atmosphere, from the people I’ve met through coming here, it’s been an incredible experience and I just felt very strongly that I would like repay that experience. It’s been an incredibly important part of my life.

The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund is a true living legacy, supported by donations, gifts in memory and legacies of all sizes.  

Thanks to those who have left gifts in their wills to The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund, we can plan for the future whilst supporting music and dance, learning and craft, continue to make much-needed improvements to our glorious Grade 1 listed building and invest in the technology and skills which bring our productions to life. 

Every year the Endowment Fund grants the Royal Ballet and Opera funding for productions, backstage improvements and helps support our extensive learning programmes. The trustees may also choose to make discretionary payments from the Endowment Fund at times of extraordinary need.

How to leave a gift

You can choose to leave your gift to the Endowment Fund to be put towards where the future need is greatest, or you can choose to direct it to one of four special funds within the Endowment: The Royal Ballet, The Royal Opera, Learning or The Royal Opera House for backstage and building improvements  and projects. 

If you would like to find out more about leaving a legacy or discover how these donations support our work please get in touch with the legacies team, Adam Gray or Jessica Thompson, on legacies@roh.org.uk or call us on 0207 212 9162.  

You can either: 

  • Leave a gift to us when you make a new Will 
  • Amend your existing Will using a codicil form 

Types of legacy:  

  • Residuary gift – a proportion of your estate; this type of gift is not affected by inflation and therefore keeps its value over time 
  • Pecuniary gift – a specified amount of money 

In order to leave a legacy, you will need to give your solicitor or will writer the following details: 

Royal Opera House Endowment Fund  
Covent Garden  
London WC2 9DD  
Registered Charity Number:  1089928   

You can let us know you are leaving a gift by completing a legacy pledge form or by contacting Your Legacy team. 

If you are the Executor of a will or would like to discuss appropriating an existing will or making a gift in memory then please contact Adam Gray or Jessica Thompson on legacies@roh.org.uk or call us on 0207 212 9162. 

Baton Associates

Once you make the decision to leave us a gift in your will we invite you to become a Baton Associate. Baton Associates receive a regular newsletter to keep them updated about our work. We also invite Baton Associates to special events to meet staff members and each other and find out more about our work and plans.  

We know that some legacy donors prefer to keep their decision private, and of course we respect your desire for anonymity. You are still very welcome to tell us about your gift so that we can quietly thank you during your lifetime and ensure we understand the wishes for your gift as much as possible. 

Your impact

Two ballet dancers perform on stage: they are staring into each others eyes and embracing.

In the 2023/2024 Season, thanks to gifts in wills, the Endowment Fund is supporting productions such as MADDADDAM, Cinderella, Festen, Romeo and Juliet and Semele. It also supports Learning and Participation with the National Schools Programme and important areas behind-the-scenes, such as the production of digital cast sheets and the refurbishment of the Sound and Visual Broadcast Suite.

Legacy Supporters

Gifts in wills and philanthropy to the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund
  • Mr John Douglas Allen
  • Alta Advisers
  • Mrs Sybil Mary Ball   
  • Mr Maurice Benaim  
  • Mrs Irina Berger  
  • Miss Clare Bloch   
  • Mr Richard Bradburn   
  • Ingeborg Bratman   
  • Mr Peter Brian and Mrs Barbara Ann Lockwood   
  • Molly Brocklesby  
  • Linda May Burgess   
  • Ellen Burkhardt   
  • Mosco and Hazel Carner   
  • Joyce Christie  
  • Judith Church   
  • Sonia Churchill   
  • Eric Cohen   
  • John Anthony Costin  
  • Mr John Spence Coulter  
  • Ms Carol Jerry Crichton  
  • Gloria Dale   
  • Professor Martyn Davis   
  • Jacqueline Dean   
  • Patricia Driscoll  
  • Miss Joan Edwards   
  • Mrs Amanda Iris Fewtrell  
  • Moyra Finlay   
  • Bernard Sydney Foster   
  • Hamish and Sophie Forsyth   
  • Mr Anthony Fowell  
  • John Franklin   
  • Stella Fredman   
  • Joanne Giles  
  • Roselle Godeaux   
  • Dr Angela Mary Grape   
  • Geoffrey Bransom Griffiths  
  • Mrs Guerrini   
  • Paul Hamlyn Education Fund   
  • Judy Harris   
  • Howard Hodgkin   
  • Mr and Mrs Stanley Honeyman  
  • Patrick Howard  
  • Marie Hughes   
  • Miss Maureen Laverack  
  • Denis Lishman   
  • Gertrude Mary Looi   
  • Ann Lyall   

  • Maureen Keating   
  • Herbert Kennard   
  • Daniel Kirkpatrick  
  • Olive Lambert   
  • Geoffrey Levy  
  • Stella Mainstone   
  • David F Marshall  
  • Dianne Marshall   
  • Eileen Martin   
  • Sir Peter and Lady June Marychurch  
  • Gerry and Frances Matthews  
  • Judith Morris   
  • Henri Mulnier   
  • Lady Beryl Mustill   
  • Pamela O’Neill   
  • Roger Pattison   
  • Ron Peet  
  • Christopher Laurence  
  • David Frederick Perry and Daphne Joy Perry   
  • Mr John Pinder   
  • J.S. Powley   
  • Mr Ross Roberts  
  • Philis Rockliff  
  • Mrs Dorrit Rodley   
  • Mary Roe   
  • Graham Rogers   
  • Kathleen Roper  
  • Anne Ross   
  • Hugh Hoseason Saffery   
  • The Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund   
  • Diana Sanderson   
  • Mr John Sandrock   
  • Keith and Anne Sansom   
  • Jacqueline Shane   
  • Timothy Sole   
  • H.W. Stern   
  • Mrs Vernie Stilwell  
  • Leslie Talbut   
  • Ian Taylor   
  • Herta Taylor   
  • Valerie Reva Taylor  
  • Ms J.M. Taylor   
  • Margaret Tewkesbury  
  • Eileen Thomasson  
  • Leonie Thorne-Thorne  
  • Douglas Wight   
  • Mr Arthur Wise   
  • Anonymous donors (3)   

We are grateful for the many other bequests that are left to The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund.   

Gifts in Memory

We are grateful for the many other bequests that are left to The Royal Opera House Endowment Fund. 

GIFTS IN MEMORY  
  • The Adrian Swire Charitable Trust for the Hon. Mrs Gillian Fane 
  • Dr Bruce Bennett 
  • Mrs Jean Brackenbury in memory of MR M P Brackenbury 
  • The Donald Crawshaw and Matthew Hoffman Charitable Fund for Richard Goeltz 
  • Mr John Davidson and Mr John Cundill in memory of Mr Gareth Hadley 
     

The Royal Ballet and Opera also thanks the many donors not listed who support its work. 

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE CAPITAL APPEAL  

Dame Vivien Duffield DBE Chairman 

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Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)