The Royal Armouries was established in its present form by the National Heritage Act (1983) and is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). We receive of Grant-in-Aid funding from government but raise additional funds through commercial activity and from donations and sponsorship. The Royal Armouries is an exempt charity under the Charities Act 1993.
We are governed by a Board of Trustees who are appointed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).
Statutory duties
The National Heritage Act 1983 lays down that the Trustees of the Armouries must:
- care for, preserve and add to the objects in their collections
- secure that the objects are exhibited to the public
- secure that the objects are available for study and research
- maintain a record relating to their collections, to arms and armour in general and to the Tower
- generally promote the public’s enjoyment and understanding of arms and armour
To help fulfil these duties the Act says that the Trustees may:
- provide education, instruction and advice
- enter into contracts and other agreements
- acquire and dispose of land and property
- charge for admission to their collections displayed outside the Tower
- make limited disposals from their collections
- lend and borrow objects
Board of Trustees of the Armouries
The Royal Armouries is governed by a Board of Trustees who are appointed by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and hold the collections in trust for the nation:
The Director General and Master of the Armouries
The Board of Trustees appoints a director to be responsible for providing leadership to the Royal Armouries and reporting to the Board of Trustees in all matters relating to the Royal Armouries performance.
Nat Edwards was appointed Director General and Master of the Armouries on 3 October 2022, this post also holds the responsibility as the Accounting Officer.
Executive Board
The Executive Board manage the Royal Armouries and reports to the Director General.