Windsor Students Celebrate DofE Gold at Buckingham Palace

3rd June 2026

Five of our students from Windsor High School and Sixth Form were invited to the gardens of Buckingham Palace to celebrate achieving their prestigious Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Gold Award.

Making the occasion even more historic, this year's celebration coincided with the 70th anniversary year of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Over the last seven decades, the DofE has empowered millions of young people, and our students have now firmly cemented their place in that incredible legacy.

The five Windsor students swapped their day to day wear for their finest attire as they stepped through the palace gates. They joined fellow achievers from across the country for a spectacular garden party hosted by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Edward).

Our students spent the day:

• Exploring the Buckingham Palace Gardens.

• Listening to live military bands and enjoying tea and cake.

• Hearing inspiring speeches from a star studded lineup of guest speakers, including HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, Sam Thompson, Corrina Brown, Gareth Malone OBE, Chloe Chong, Hayley Mcqueen, and DofE young ambassadors.

The atmosphere was vibrant, celebratory, and in true British style and reminiscent of many DofE expeditions punctuated by a sudden downpour that saw everyone laughing and dashing for the tea tents, their brollies and waterproofs!

Achieving a Gold DofE Award requires an immense amount of self discipline, resilience, and maturity. To see our students recognised on such a grand stage, especially during the landmark 70th anniversary year, is a moment of immense pride for the

The highlight of the day was they got to speak to HRH the Duke Of Edinburgh, they were so surprised that he knew of Dudley.

The Gold DofE Award is a grueling, non competitive personal challenge that takes a minimum of 12 months to complete. To earn their invitation to the Palace, our five students had to successfully complete five sections: Volunteering, Physical, Skill, Expedition and a Residential

The skills our students have through this journey of teamwork, problem solving, independence, and sheer determination are invaluable traits that will serve them well for their future.

We extend our massive congratulations to our five Gold Award holders. You have represented Windsor High School and Sixth Form with absolute distinction. You thoroughly earned your day at the palace!.

Are you inspired to start your own DofE journey? Make sure you sign up and be the next legacy of Windsor High School and Sixth Form Bronze, Silver and Gold award holders.