40th Anniversary Awards
[St James’s Palace, London | 25 March 2025]
The Butler Trust held its 40th Anniversary Awards on 25th March 2025, once again in the wonderful surroundings of St James’s Palace.
As on every previous occasion, the Ceremony was presided over by our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal; and on our special anniversary, HM The King came to speak to our Award Winners after the presentations, over afternoon tea.
We were also joined in celebrating this year’s Winners by members of their family, representatives from their places of work, and senior figures from the across the sector, including (among others): the Minister for Prisons, Probation & Reducing Reoffending; the Minister for Sentencing & Youth Justice; the Justice Minister for Northern Ireland; the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice; the Heads of HMPPS, the Prison Services of Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Youth Justice Board, and the Home Office Immigration Detention Service; the Chief Inspectors of Prisons and Probation for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; and the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman.
Before presenting the Awards, Her Royal Highness paid tribute to this year’s Winners, and their colleagues in prisons, probation, youth justice and immigration detention up and down the country, for all that they do on behalf of the people in their care and society as a whole.
After the Winners had all been presented with their Awards and Commendations, Her Royal Highness gave the 2025 Princess Royal’s Prize – as always a closely guarded secret until it’s announced – to Prison Officer, Jonathan Firth, from HMP Swaleside, in recognition of his outstanding service, and exemplary jailcraft, over more than 30 years.
At the end of the Ceremony, our Chair, Michael Spurr, paid tribute to The Princess for all that she has done for the Trust, and the sector as a whole, over the last four decades – not only in presiding over the Award Ceremony on every occasion, but also for the almost 250 visits she has made in that time to staff working in prisons, probation offices, youth justice services, and immigration removal centres throughout the country – and he spoke from personal experience about the positive and lasting impact her visits have on all concerned.
After the Ceremony, it was time for afternoon tea, and a chance for Her Royal Highness, and others, to speak to the winners in a slightly less formal (if no less grand) setting.
We were also joined during tea by a very special, surprise guest, His Majesty The King!
The fact that His Majesty was able to find time in his exceptionally busy schedule to be there, and to speak to each of our Award Winners individually, was a tribute not only to them but also to all the Hidden Heroes working in the sector across the United Kingdom.
For high res images from the event click on the links below:
Awards presentations
Commendation presentations
HM The King speaking to our Winners and other guests
HRH The Princess Royal speaking to our Winners and other guests
Other images from the event
For details of all this year’s Winners, see Our Winners.