Roald Windows Get Royal Unveiling

Birmingham Children’s Hospital is proud to have worked with Sir Quentin Blake, the world-famous children’s illustrator, and Felicity Dahl, wife of the late author Roald Dahl, on the creation of a stunning, stained glass window installation – the first-time Sir Quentin’s work has ever been produced in stained glass. The designs, which have been generously donated by Sir Quentin, will celebrate some of the iconic characters from Roald Dahl’s much-loved stories. As Patron of Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall  visited Birmingham Children’s Hospital on Wednesday 22 January 2020 to unveil our unique Roald Dahl Window Collection. HRH The Duchess of Cornwall was greeted by Sarah-Jane Marsh, Chief Executive of Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and a Presentation of posy of flowers to HRH was made by patient Matilda Hatton. Picture by Shaun Fellows / Shine Pix Ltd

Birmingham Children’s Hospital welcomed Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall to its hospital recently to unveil a unique stained glass window installation, featuring some of Roald Dahl’s most iconic characters, specially designed by the world-famous children’s illustrator Sir Quentin Blake.

The charitably-funded project is the brainchild of Felicity Dahl, wife of the late author, who often used to visit the hospital as a child with her father Professor Alphonsus d’Abreu, then Dean of the Medical Faculty. She approached Sir Quentin Blake who was delighted to be involved and generously donated his original designs, which have now been transformed into a stunning series of stained-glass windows – the first-time Sir Quentin’s work or Roald Dahl characters have ever been produced in stained-glass.

Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity launched a campaign to raise the £234,000 needed to make the windows a
reality. Once the money was raised, work was able to start and the final installation is now housed inside Waterfall House, a state-of-the-art building, which is home to Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s world-class Children’s Cancer Centre and the UK’s first Rare Diseases Centre for children. The main window sits in the entrance to Waterfall House, while a series of nine smaller interior windows are situated along the building’s ground floor corridor.

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall was invited to the hospital to unveil the new installation and was able to get a closer
look at all of the windows, which feature favourite Roald Dahl characters that every child and parent will instantly recognise, including The BFG, The Enormous Crocodile and The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, plus Matilda and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall was also able to meet patients, project donors, as well as staff members, including Birmingham Children’s Hospital’s four Roald Dahl Nurses who specialise in rare diseases. These nurses are funded
by Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity of which The Duchess is Patron. HRH The Duchess of Cornwall was then invited to unveil a commemorative plaque.

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