The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup is a rowing event at Henley Royal Regatta open to school 1st VIIIs.

History

The event was instituted in 1946 for public schools in the United Kingdom. It was opened to entries from overseas in 1964, and that year Washington-Lee High School (United States) became the first overseas crew to win the event, beating Groton School, USA, in an all-American final.

The inauguration of this race coincided with future queen Princess Elizabeth's first visit to the regatta, and so permission was given to name the trophy "The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup".

The PE (as it is usually abbreviated) is one of only a few races in the regatta which does not allow composite crews to be entered, and as such each race is a straight competition between one club and another. As the most prestigious race of the school rowing year, the event attracts strong competition both from the UK and abroad. For British crews, winning the PE can be the final victory needed to win “the triple", a prestigious achievement which comprises winning the Schools' Head of the River Race, The National Schools Regatta and finally the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, all in the same year. The "triple" was first achieved in 1978 by Eton College who have subsequently achieved it a further six times (1990, 1991, 1995, 2005, 2009 and 2010). Other winners of the triple are St. Edward's School in 1984, Hampton School in 1985, 1986 and 1988, Abingdon School in 2002 and 2012, and St Paul's School (London) in 2018 and 2024. Both St Pauls and Eton have also achieved a so-called "quadruple" by additionally winning the Youth Eights at the Head of the Charles Regatta; Eton in both 2008/09 and 2009/10 and St Paul's in 2017/18 and 2023/24.

Of British entries, Eton College have won the PE a total of 15 times, St Paul's School (London) 9 times, St. Edward's School 5 times, and Abingdon School, Bedford School, Hampton School, Pangbourne College and Shrewsbury School have each won the event 4 times.

Radley College are the most frequent losing finalists having done so on 8 occasions, followed by Eton College and St Paul's School on 6 occasions. Hampton School and St. Edward's School have been the losing finalists on 4 occasions. Westminster School, The King's School Canterbury and Oundle School share the record for the most losses (4) in finals without having ever won the event.

The PE was opened to international crews in 1964, since when American crews have won the event 14 times (and been losing finalists 19 times), Canadian crews 7 times (losing finalists 3 times), and Australian crews 3 times (losing finalists twice). Ridley College (Canada) remain the most successful North American school in the event having won the PE 5 times in the 1970's. Holy Spirit High School, USA and St.Paul's School, Concord, USA have both won the event 3 times, St.Paul's School, Concord, USA also having been losing finalists on 4 occasions. The Australian school to have won the event most recently was Scotch College, Melbourne in 2017.

At the 2023 regatta, the rules for the PE were changed to allow junior crews from clubs as well as schools to enter the event.

Past winners YearWinnerRunner-Upref 1946 Bedford School Radley College 1947 Bedford School Shrewsbury School 1948 Bedford SchoolRadley College 1949 Winchester CollegeWestminster School 1950 St Paul's School (London)Bedford School 1951 Bedford SchoolRadley College 1952 Radley College Monkton Combe School 1953 St Paul's School (London)The King's School Canterbury 1954 Winchester CollegeOundle School 1955 Shrewsbury SchoolOundle School 1956 Eton College St Paul's School (London) 1957 St Paul's School (London)Shrewsbury School 1958 St. Edward's SchoolOundle School 1959 St. Edward's School Oundle School 1960 Shrewsbury SchoolThe King's School Canterbury 1961 Shrewsbury SchoolThe King's School Canterbury 1962 Radley CollegeNautical College, Pangbourne 1963 Nautical College, PangbourneSt Paul's School (London) 1964 Washington-Lee High School, USAGroton School, USA 1965 Tabor Academy, USA Phillips Exeter Academy, USA 1966 Emanuel SchoolHalcyon Boat Club, St.Paul's School, USA 1967Eton College Tabor Academy, USA 1968 JEB Stuart High School, USAEton College 1969 Washington-Lee High School, USAEmanuel School 1970 Ridley College, CanadaHampton Grammar School 1971 Pangbourne CollegeSt. Andrew's School, USA 1972 Kent School, USABrentwood College School, CAN 1973 Ridley College, CanadaSt. Paul's School, USA 1974 Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, New Jersey, USAKingston Grammar School 1975 Ridley College, CanadaSt. Paul's School, USA 1976 Holy Spirit High School, USAEmanuel School 1977 Ridley College, CanadaHampton School 1978 Eton College Brentwood College School, CAN1979 Ridley College, CanadaEton College 1980 St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire), USASt. Joseph's Preparatory School, USA 1981 Holy Spirit High School, USAEmanuel School 1982 Eton College Holy Spirit High School. USA 1983 Eton College St. Andrew's School, USA 1984 St. Edward's SchoolSt. Joseph's Preparatory School, USA 1985 Hampton SchoolSt. Paul's School, USA 1986 Hampton SchoolBelmont Hill School, USA 1987 Belmont Hill School, USAHampton School 1988 Hampton SchoolEton College 1989 Hampton SchoolShiplake College 1990 Eton College Westminster School 1991 Eton College The King's School Canterbury 1992 Pangbourne CollegeWestminster School 1993 Brisbane Boys' College, AUSEton College 1994 St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire), USAAtlantic City High School, USA 1995 Eton College Hampton School 1996 Brentwood College School, CANSt. Edward's School 1997 St Paul's School (London) Canford School 1998 Radley CollegeSt. Mary's Preparatory School, USA 1999 St. Edward's SchoolSt. Peter's College, AUS 2000 Saint Joseph's Preparatory, USAGroton School, USA 2001 The King's School, Parramatta, AustraliaRadley College 2002 Abingdon SchoolSt Paul's School (London) 2003 Pangbourne CollegeSt. Edward's School 2004 St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire), USAAbingdon School 2005 Eton College Saint Joseph's Preparatory, USA 2006 St. Ignatius College Preparatory, USAThe King's School Chester 2007 Shrewsbury School Brentwood College School, CAN 2008 Shawnigan Lake School, Canada Eton College 2009 Eton College Abingdon School 2010 Eton College Kent School, USA 2011 Abingdon SchoolSt. Andrew's School, Delaware, USA 2012 Abingdon SchoolRadley College 2013 Abingdon SchoolSt. Edward's School 2014 Eton College St. Edward's School 2015 St Paul's School (London)Westminster School 2016 Eton College St Paul's School (London) 2017 Scotch College, Melbourne, AustraliaRadley College 2018 St Paul's School (London)Eton College 2019 Eton College Scotch College, Melbourne, AUS 2020No competition due to COVID-19 pandemic2021 Eton College St Paul's School (London)2022 St Paul's School (London)Radley College2023 St Edward's School St Paul's School (London)2024 St Paul's School (London)Shiplake College2025 Shiplake College Radley College 2026 St Paul's School (London) St Edward's School

Record times The record holder for the event is St Paul's School (London), having finished the course in 6 minutes 06 seconds in the final against Eton College in 2018. They beat the previous record for the event by 11 seconds, held by Abingdon School.

The course record times for the event are:

1:46 to the Barrier (St. Paul's School 2018) 2:58 to Fawley (St. Paul's School 2018) 6:06 to the Finish (St. Paul's School 2018)

Sources Henley Royal Regatta Henley finals results 1946 onwards

References