Leave a legacy
Leaving a gift in your will will support our work, both on stage and behind the scenes. Every gift helps us to create and stage new works, revive heritage favourites and nurture future generations of talented performers and craftspeople.
We are truly grateful for every act of generosity. Your gift ensures that our art forms are passed on to future generations for them to enjoy.
Speak to someone confidentially about leaving a legacy or to arrange a visit or backstage tour to see how such donations support our work.
“This has given me a great deal of happiness and pleasure and I am pleased to think I may go some small way to contributing to the future.”
Your gift supports our work
Each year gifts in wills that go into our Endowment Fund support:
- Eight Main Stage productions
- One Linbury Theatre production
- A work that brings ballet and opera to the next generation through our learning programmes
- Our craft departments
Last Season, ballet productions supported by gifts in wills were:
- Romeo and Juliet
- The Nutcracker
- Like Water for Chocolate
Opera productions supported by gifts in wills were:
- Tosca
- Peter Grimes
- Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci
- Rigoletto
You can direct your gift to support ballet, opera, new talent and education or the general work of the Royal Opera House.
Types of gift you can give
You can decide what type of gift you want to leave us:
- Residuary gift – you leave the remainder of your estate, or a percentage of it, once family and friends have been provided for (this type of gift is not affected by inflation, so keeps its value over time)
- Pecuniary or cash gift – you can specify an amount of money
How to leave us a gift
You can either:
- Leave a gift to us when you make a new Will
- Amend your existing Will using a codicil form
- Complete a letter of wishes (though this is not legally binding)
All legacy gifts are held by our endowment fund. You will need to give your solicitor the following details of the fund:
Royal Opera House Endowment Fund
Covent Garden
London WC2 9DD
Registered Charity Number: 1089928
Let us know about your gift
If you have left a gift we would love the opportunity to thank you by inviting you to become a Baton Associate. The Royal Opera House Baton Associates scheme brings together and recognises the support of all the generous individuals who are leaving a gift to the Royal Opera House in their will.
Baton Associates receive a regular newsletter so that they are kept up-to-date with the work that they have chosen to support.Each Season we hold two special events for Baton Associates so that they can meet artists and staff members and each other and find out more about our work and plans. Recent events have included a ballet rehearsal of The Nutcracker and an opera recital featuring singers from the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme.
We know that some legacy donors prefer to keep their decision private, and we of course respect your desire for anonymity. Even if you do not choose to be an active part of the Baton Associates please feel encouraged to let us know so that we can quietly thank you during your lifetime and ensure we understand the wishes for your gift as much as possible.
We are always happy to discuss ways in which we can recognise your pledge. You might choose to name a seat in the auditorium, which will help involve your family with the activity made possible through your foresight and generosity.
To make us aware of your legacy pledge, or more information on the Baton Associates, please contact our legacies team.
Contact us about your gift
Let us know you are leaving a gift by completing a legacy pledge form or by contacting Katherine Hudson in our Legacy team.
Read our A Lasting Legacy brochure to find out more about leaving a gift.
Legacy Supporters
- 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
- 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
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)