L-R: E. Comp Steve Heynes PPrGReg, E. Comp John Eynon, Deputy Grand Superintendent, E. Comp Mike Karn P3rdProvGPrin PAGSoj, E. Comp Dr John Hawkings PAGSoj and E. Comp Mark Heath PAGDC.
“The Royal Family and Freemasonry”
At the regular March Convocation of Middlesex First Principals Chapter No 3420 on Monday25th March, the annual Gordon Bourne Lecture was given by E. Comp Dr John Hawkings PAGSoj, Prestonian Lecturer for 2022. The talk centred on the Royal Family and Freemasonry and in his introduction, he mentioned the three important anniversaries had been celebrated in 2022. These were the 70th anniversary of the accession to the throne of the late Queen and the 55th anniversary of the fist election of HRH the Duke of Kent as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England and the first election of his brother HRH Price Michael of Kent as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England. Many of us would be familiar with the involvement of the Royal family in freemasonry, but there are many names which were mentioned in the talk which might be unfamiliar to some. The talk was very well presented and this is a brief summary of some the points.
MW The Grand Master – The Duke of Kent 
RW the Provincial Grand Master of Middlesex
The connection with the Royal Family and Freemasonry he said, is divided in to two distinct periods. The first period lasted from the foundation of Premier Grand Lodge in 1717 until 1843, which was 30 years after the Union of the two Grand Lodges, Antients and Moderns. There were fourteen members of the House of Hanover over four generations who had been members of the Craft. Some were more active than others. This is illustrated below:
The very first Hanoverian was Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales, and eldest son of George II initiated in 1737. He had three sons and a younger brother who were also members of the Craft. Frederick’s eldest son became George III who would not become a freemason. He in turn had six children of which the eldest, the Prince of Wales later became Prince Regent and subsequently Goerge IV. He was the second royal prince to rule as Grand Master in the Premier Grand Lodge from 1790 – 1812. (Ed: Those of us who have been able to do the tour at Freemasons Hall may have seen the rather large chair that is purported to be that which George, Prince of Wales and son of King George III, sat on. A rather large chair perhaps befitting the stature of the Grand Master George. It seems he reached 24 stone in weight before he died at the age 67). The royal succession continued in both Antients and Moderns Grand Lodges until the death of the Duke of Sussex in 1843 when there was what the speaker called the First Regal Intermagisterium. The Duke of Zetland then became the Grand Master in 1844.
The Queen Is Not Amused
Victoria acceded to the throne in 1837 and was married to Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg Gotha which subsequently became the House of Windsor. The speaker informed the Convocation that once again over four generations ten members of the royal family were members of the Craft which also included his late Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. However, it appeared that although a number of Queen Victoria’s male children were freemasons, she was apparently not enamoured of the Craft and not keen on her eldest son, Albert Edward (the future Edward VII) becoming a freemason.
HRH King Edward VII
He had studied at Oxford University and would have been familiar with the existence of Apollo University Lodge, but it was not until 1868 that he became a freemason in Sweden, and it seems that he failed to inform his mother of his intentions. After another six years passed and two other sons became freemasons and it is noted that she wrote expressing her annoyance that they had taken such a step without informing her first. When Edward acceded to the throne in 1901, he had to step down as Grand Master and it was said his public sponsorship of the Craft had led to a substantial growth in the number of Lodges as well as the individual memberships.
A little later in the regal masonic chronology there were latter day royals, with whom we may be more familiar i.e., Edward VIII Prince of Wales and his brother Albert Duke of York, later King George VI. Edward stated that it was his earnest desire to promote the principles of duty, loyalty and benevolence. He was no ritualist though. His subsequent tenure as King was brief and the Duke of York then became King George VI.
HRH Albert, Duke of York, Grand Master – later King George VI. 
Prince George, Duke of Kent – Grand Master from 1939 until 1942. (Public Domain).
There was yet another royal who became Grand Master in 1939 but who died in tragic circumstances in 1942. This was Prince George, Duke of Kent who was the father of the present Grand Master. Then began a second period of Regal Intermagisterium with a succession of three Grand Masters who were not of the Royal bloodline. The next royal to become Grand Master was HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent in 1967. Later in 1982 he installed his brother, HRH Prince Michael of Kent as Provincial Grand Master of Middlesex who still holds this high office as well as being the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons.
This is where the talk finished in a discussion of the royal masonic chronology. However, in conclusion E. Comp Dr John Hawkins remarked that freemasonry can survive periods where there is no royal leadership which is highly prized and treasured among freemasons. This is our hope for the future.
A fuller rendition of the contents of the talk can be gleaned from “The Royal Family and Freemasonry – The Prestonian Lecture for 2022”. By Dr John W Hawkins. Click here for book flyer. (flyer pdf)
Additionally, Dr Hawkins has written an addition volume entitled “The Royal Family and Freemasonry – Beyond the Craft” published in 2023 and was the subject of the Mark Grand Stewards Lecture in that year. Click here for book flyer (flyer MSGL)
