His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester, visited Richmond last week to officially unveil new almshouses at The Elizabeth Twining Almshouses in Mitre Mews.

The Chair and Chief Executive of The Richmond Charities, Jeremy Williams and Juliet Ames-Lewis, welcomed HRH to the site on 2 April 2025.

The Duke was greeted by residents, trustees, staff, members of the project team, the Mayor, Council representatives, and other dignitaries.

He toured the new almshouses, speaking with residents who had recently moved in about their new homes.

The Elizabeth Twining Almshouses in Richmond (credit: The Richmond Charities).

Following the tour, HRH was escorted into a marquee set up in the grounds of Church Estate Almshouses, where he met additional guests.

As Vice Patron of The Almshouse Association, The Duke is a strong advocate for almshouse charities and their work in developing modern, sustainable homes for elderly residents.

The Duke delivered a speech and unveiled a commemorative plaque as part of the occasion.

Chief Executive Juliet Ames-Lewis said: "The royal visit was a celebration of The Richmond Charities and of the work we do to house elderly residents in our thriving community and the ways in which we are always looking to develop more almshouses in order to house more residents."

The Richmond Charities' next new development of 12 almshouses will complete shortly. It is located on Queen's Road, Richmond, and once completed will bring the charity's total number of almshouses to 162.

The charity's aim is housing and supporting elderly people around the borough. To find out more about The Richmond Charities click here.

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