On the 18 February 2026, The King and Queen visited Barking and Dagenham.
At the Barking Learning Centre Community and Family Hub, The King and Queen met organisations to hear how their work is supporting their community. This community-based learning facility houses Barking Library and brings together a wide range of council services, partner organisations, and local community groups.
Their Majesties met those involved in social prescribing, providing advice on employment, preventing homelessness and encouraging reading.
The King and Queen also viewed the ‘Library of Things’ – a facility offered by Barking Learning Centre in which people can borrow infrequently used household items, preventing one-time purchases and ensuring people have access to the items they need to maintain their homes affordably.
Lena and Lisa from the Pen to Print team, Write On!’s Madeleine and Pen to Print Alumna Farzana were there to greet Their Majesties and talk about the Pen to Print project and Write On! magazine. A gift of several Book Challenger novels was made to The Queen.
At Barking & Dagenham Rush Green Campus, Their Majesties were joined by college’s alumnus, actor Sir Idris Elba, to hear about the technical and professional education courses provided by the college to students.
Named after Sir Idris, the college’s state-of-the-art Idris Elba Studio provides media and production courses to rising local talent.
