THE Queen is granting a Royal Charter to a City of London livery company which has among its members Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and the inventors of the Worldwide Web and the Internet. The charter being granted on June 17 at St Paul’s Cathedral

By Mike Brooke

THE Queen is granting a Royal Charter to a City of London livery company which has among its members Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and the inventors of the Worldwide Web and the Internet.

The charter being granted to the Information Technologists’ Company recognises “the importance of information and communication technologies” and the work it has done for charitable and educational IT programmes.

The Charter is being granted on June 17 at St Paul’s Cathedral by a member of the Royal Family to the Master of the Company, Charles Hughes.

“It is an enormous honour for us,” he said.

“Some may question the ancient concept of livery companies in a world of high-speed computing and mobile communications.

“But the Royal Charter enables us to promote our commitment to helping the disadvantaged.”

The Charter will then be taken in procession though the streets escorted by the Company of Pikemen and Musketeers, the Lord Mayor’s private bodyguard, followed by a banquet at the Mansion House.

The Information Technologists’ Company, the City’s 100th livery organisation, is using its high tech wizardry to produce the first-ever live webcast from the historic St Paul’s on June 17.

Its honorary members include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Worldwide Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Internet pioneer and Google Vice President Vint Cerf. The Company was awarded livery status by the Court of Aldermen of the City of London in 1992.