New Member Appointed To The Chapel Council

The Duchy of Lancaster has appointed Mrs Claudia Ogunyemi to the Council of The Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy. Mrs Ogunyemi is a native of New Jersey in the USA although she has been resident in the UK for over 17 years and currently lives in Beckenham with her husband and two teenage children. She first came to The Queen’s Chapel in 2017 when her teenage son joined the choir as a Wakeham Chorister.

Commenting on her appointment to the Chapel Council Claudia said: “I am really excited to have been appointed to the Council. The Chapel itself is quite exquisite and its location in the heart of one of the busiest areas of the city means that it provides a rare opportunity for peaceful and calm reflection. I would urge anyone working in the vicinity to visit the Chapel if only to remind themselves that mindfulness has an important role to play in ensuring good health and wellbeing.”

The Chapel Council provides governance and oversight to the day-to-day operations of The Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy, including its broad range of activities within the community, its finances and administration. Mrs Ogunyemi holds a BSc in Economics and Finance and a MSc in Information Management and Finance. She has 10 years’ experience of working in accounting roles for a variety of different companies. Interested in all aspects of retail businesses, Claudia currently works as the Operations and Logistics Manager of an online retailer and distributor in the health and beauty sector.

Commenting on the appointment Chairman of the Chapel Council and Duchy of Lancaster CFO Chris Adcock LVO said: “Following the retirement of Mr Guy Morrell earlier this year we are delighted that Claudia is to join the Chapel Council. Her professional skills and her personal experience of the Chapel and its role within the local community will be invaluable as we move forward. On behalf of all members of the Chapel Council I would like to extend the warmest of welcomes to her as she joins the team.”

The Queen’s Chapel of the Savoy is the last surviving building of a hospital built in the early part of the sixteenth century as part of a charitable foundation under the terms of the will of King Henry VII. It forms part of the Duchy of Lancaster’s historic Savoy Estate and is located between The Strand and the Thames Embankment. Often referred to as a ‘Royal Peculiar’ it remains a ‘free’ chapel and in 2016 the management of its ecclesiastical affairs was incorporated into the Ecclesiastical Household as part of the Chapels Royal.