Queen Camilla has accepted the role of Royal Patron for The Brontë Birthplace in Thornton, Bradford, which she formally opened in May 2025 after a fundraising-led restoration. The Market Street house — where Charlotte, Emily, Anne and their brother Patrick Branwell were born between 1816 and 1820 — has welcomed thousands of visitors and now offers themed overnight stays. Museum chair Cathy Boyden and a Royal Family spokesperson said the patronage will boost the site's profile and support its educational and preservation work.
Queen Camilla Named Royal Patron Of The Brontë Birthplace In Thornton
Queen Camilla has accepted an invitation to become Royal Patron of The Brontë Birthplace, the museum and educational centre at the Market Street house in Thornton, Bradford, where the Brontë siblings were born.
The Queen formally opened the restored Brontë Birthplace in May 2025 after a successful fundraising campaign that allowed the 200-year-old home to be acquired and made accessible to the public for the first time in its history.
Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë, together with their brother Patrick Branwell, were born in the parlour of the Market Street house between 1816 and 1820, traditionally in front of the family fireplace.
“Her Majesty's patronage is a wonderful endorsement of what has been achieved so far and gives us great encouragement as we look to the future,”
said Cathy Boyden, chair of The Brontë Birthplace.
A museum spokesperson added that the site — which also offers themed overnight stays — has welcomed "thousands of visitors from across the UK and around the world" since opening, helping to secure the building’s future as a centre for learning and literary heritage.
The Brontë children later became notable writers. The three sisters originally published under male pen names (Charlotte as Currer Bell, Emily as Ellis Bell and Anne as Acton Bell) and produced enduring works such as Emily's Wuthering Heights, Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth — the house the family moved to in 1821 and where the sisters grew up — remains a separate institution devoted to the family’s life and literary legacy.
A Royal Family spokesperson said having a Royal Patron "provides vital publicity for the work of these organisations, and allows their enormous achievements and contributions to society to be recognised and promoted."
Royal patronage is expected to raise the profile of The Brontë Birthplace, attract further support and encourage more visitors and educational programmes that celebrate the Brontë sisters’ contribution to English literature.
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